The Price To Your Freedom
by Anime no Akuma
Summary: Aryane is your usual Exorcist working for the Black Order. She's a little excentric, sometimes bordeline insane, but she knows what she's doing... well, most of the time. However, at the arrival of a certain Allen Walker, things start to change, and fast. Too fast. Tears are shed and blood is spilled "What price are you ready to pay?" "Anything... anything, as long as they're safe"
1. Welcome, Allen Walker

As I flew towards the Headquarters, explosions were heard. Worried we were under attack I accelerated, ready to strike. When I finally got to the Tower entrance, I saw the Guardian Statue screaming 'INTRUDER!' as Kanda-jerk attacked a young boy with white hair and a curse mark over his left eye.

Instantly, I dropped my guard and fall on the ground between them, my wings keeping them apart.

"That's enough, Ba-Kanda" I intervened, then turned to the boy. "Allen, it's good to see you again!"

"A-Ary! You work for the Order?" he suddenly realized. "How come I never knew?"

"I thought Cross would have told you" I simply shrugged. "Hey, Komui! It's fine, he's Marshall Cross apprentice!"

 **"** **Yes, yes, I found the letter. It's okay, let him enter!"**

I sighed heavily, and let go of _Angel_ , before turning to Kanda, who was watching us with narrowed eyes.

"So, still alive, Jerkface?"

"Go die" he said flatly.

"Age before beauty" I rolled my eyes, before turning to Allen again. "How come you're here? Finally gave up on Cross and ran away?"

"Actually… he kind of told me to come here before knocking me out with a hammer" he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Of course he did" I shook my head. "And…"

"Ary!"

"Lenalee!"

She hugged me tightly, and I bite back the groan of pain that threatened to escape me. I gently pushed her away, but she caught my wince.

"Are you injured?" she asked.

"Of course not, just a little sore becau-FUCK!"

Doubling in pain, I crumbled on the ground clutching my ribs. I glared at Kanda, who stared back at me as if he didn't just hit me with his scabbard.

 _"_ _Fils de pute! Non mais ça va pas, la tête? Espèce d'enfant de chienne, je vais te…"_

"Ary!" cut Lenalee, worried, amused and annoyed at the same time.

"I'm fine!" I repeated, getting up.

This time, there was a definite 'CRACK' as Kanda-jerk struck my side with his bare fist. I punched him before collapsing again, this time unable to get back on my feet.

"Bitch" he growled, massaging his jaw.

"Son of mine" I spat back between my teeth.

"Cut it out, you two! Kanda, don't injure her even more! And Ary, don't lie about your health! You are _not_ fine!" intervened Lenalee

"I was until Jerkface here decided to explode my fucking ribs!" I snarled.

"You're pathetic, I barely touch you, Akahato!" he scoffed.

 **"** **Okay, you two, that's enough flirting for now. Lenalee, give Allen a tour of the place. Kanda, you bring Ary to the medical wing"**

Allen looked at Kanda, than me, than Kanda again, with a look of pure confusion on his face. And was that amusement too?

Bastard.

"Okay, nii-san. Ary, I'll come see you later, okay?"

"Lenalee, you traitor!" I whined. "Don't leave me with Jerkface, or I'll turn into a bastard too!"

For only answer, Kanda swatted my head, and I growled at him.

Allen waved, and followed Lenalee as I struggled to get on my feet.

"She can get there herself," said Kanda-jerk, walking away.

 **"** **If you don't get her there in the next three minutes, you'll be on paperwork duty for the rest of the week. Now get on with it!"**

The radio cut, and I finally managed to sit. Kanda's scowl deepened as her turned back on his heels.

"Come on, Akahato" he grunted.

Glaring at him, I sat more comfortably and crossed my arms.

"No"

We engaged in a glaring contest, and I could see him getting more and more agitated by each second passing.

In a way, I could understand his nervousness: no one wanted to be on paperwork duty. And usually, I wouldn't be cruel enough to impose it on anyone. However, today was different: I just came back from my fifth mission in a row, meaning I was really tired, and the three Finders on my team had died only a day sooner. I was hungry, cold, injured and he really hadn't chose a good time to piss me off.

So no, I didn't feel generous today.

"Get. Up" he gritted through his teeth.

"N-O" I repeated stubbornly, even though the pain in my lower body was growing.

He sneered at me and, suddenly, I was cradled in his arms. Stars danced before my eyes as my ribs cracked even more in the less than comfortable position, and I started hitting wherever I could.

"Let me down!" I screeched as he ran through the corridors.

I managed to get his chin and, apparently done with my attitude, he roughly pressed a finger in the back of my neck.

Before I knew it, I was slipping into unconsciousness.

"Go… fuck… yourself…" I mumbled as my eyelids dropped.

He had the galls to whack my head before I was completely out of it.

Jerk.

* * *

When I woke up, I was in the Medical Wing. Instantly, I pulled out the needle of the IV and sighed as I slowly regained the rest of my senses.

It had been an awful mission and the three Finders that I had come to know during the last week of mission had been killed during a surprise attack on our way back. One of them had died while protecting me when I was sent on the ground. They didn't stand a fucking chance, and the only one who could have saved them didn't manage to do it.

I know blaming myself wasn't fair. I had been in danger too. I did all I could, really. But it wasn't enough either way.

My fist clenched tighter, and I grabbed my necklace for some comfort. One day, I would make the Earl pay for each and every life that was taken because of him.

"Ary!"

Jumping a little, I saw Lenalee entering the room with a small smile.

"Hey, Jumper" I smiled back. "How long was I out for?"

"The whole night" she shrugged, handing me a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"

"Annoyed. Depressed. Angry," I listed, counting on my fingers.

She gently swatted my hand, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm fi- I'm better" I corrected myself at her glare.

"Why can't you show more concern about yourself?" she shook her head.

"Because I know my limits, Jumper" I replied. "So stop worrying yourself over nothing. And if I ever die because I decided to go to bed instead of the Medical Wing, than you can bitch a little and say ' _I told you so_ ', okay?"

"Fine, fine. You hungry? We can go eat," she proposed.

"Let me change first"

She waited for me outside as I put on my uniform. It was similar to hers, but the back was open. That way, I could activate _Angel_ without worrying about my clothes all the time. I then glanced at the door.

Lenalee was really sweet, and she was a great friend. However, sometimes, I fear that she forgets that we're human too. We can suffer, we can fail and we can die like anyone else. She doesn't want to see her family broken, she told me herself, but I know that we can't possibly survive through this war without losses on our side too.

"Ary?"

"Coming!"

I put on my boots then followed her to the cafeteria.

"So, how did it go with Allen? How is he?" I asked, curious.

"Accommodating" she shrugged. "He's nice and all, but I think he's not used to people standing besides him"

I hummed and, as we entered, we were met with the sight of the white-haired boy and Ba-Kanda glaring at each other. There was a crackle of electricity between the two Exorcists, and I rolled my eyes at their antics, walking in between to break the fight.

"Kiddo, Jerkface, that's enough" I ordered. "The both of you calm down before I make you!"

"Tche" Kanda bumped roughly into me as he walked out.

"Bastard" I grunted.

Timcanpy placed itself on my head and I patted him gently.

"Are you okay, Allen?" asked Lenalee.

"Yeah. What's his problem? It's as if he doesn't have any consideration for the rest of the Order!" he remarked, distressed.

"Kanda is… a touchy subject. He…"

"Plainly said, he's an ass" I cut in, making the rest of the Finders chuckle.

"Aryane!" protested my friend.

"What?"

She shook her head, exasperated, then looked back at the white-haired teen.

"Allen, my brother wants to see you in his office for your first mission" she told him.

"I'll be going then. Ja!"

"Be careful!" called Lenalee.

"And kick some Akuma ass for me!" I added.

"Will do! Come on, Tim!"

The golden Golem rubbed himself against my cheek before following his current master. I laughed softly.

"He hasn't changed" I remarked.

"How did you to met anyway?" asked Lenalee as we went to Jeryy.

"Good morning dears! What can I get you?" asked cheerily the chef.

"Rice balls for me" ordered simply Lenalee.

"And what about you, Ary-chan?"

I thought for a moment.

"I'll go with four toast with jam, two bowls of cereals, three glass of orange juice, a few pancakes, four eggs with bacon, and a pack of roasted potatoes with maple syrup please" I listed.

"Right on it!"

A few minutes later, we were seating at a table.

"So, I met Allen three years ago. He had just became Cross's apprentice at that time. Remember when I had to find the man to deliver some orders? Yeah, that was then. The poor kid was fighting around ten Akumas alone while the womanizer sat back and let him do the job. I took pity on him and destroyed the rest, but the Marshall decided to double the poor boy's workload for not being able to defeat them alone. I felt bad, so I worked my ass off for the next two weeks before handing him my whole pay and some candies as an apology. You should have seen his face! It's as if he never thought Exorcists could actually be kind" I shook my head fondly at the memory.

"And after that?"

"Our path kept crossing. Rare were the times where Cross was actually with him, but I always passed him some candy when I saw him. It became some sort of a running joke" I shrugged.

"He seems like a nice kid" she smiled.

"He is. A little too much, to be honest. Some times, I really wonder why Innocence has to choose people like him" I sighed.

"From the girl who worked like a slave before giving him her whole pay because she felt bad for saving his ass" she retorted.

"Don't mock me" I whined.

"You're too kind too!"

"Am not! I'm a vicious, dangerous…"

At that moment, my stomach grumbled to remember me that I still needed to eat.

"Hungry?" she completed with a raised eyebrow.

For only answer, I sent some of my potatoes her way, making her laugh.

* * *

The rest of the day and the one after were spent in a less cheery atmosphere. I passed it in my room, organizing my grieving. The rest of the Order knew of my ritual, so no one bothered me that day.

It was only when the moon was high in the sky on the second third night of my return that I finally ready. Gathering everything, I activated my Innocence and flew at the top of the Tower. There, I placed in a half circle the three pictures of the Finders that had died two days sooner. I lightened the candles around, and clasped my hands in a prayer.

"Elvis Daenim… Maes Hughes… Steven Prime…" I muttered, my voice echoing in the silence. "I thank and honor your sacrifice. I swear your deaths won't be in vain. Please, may your souls rest in peace"

With the back of my hand, I pushed one of the candles on the pictures, which quickly took fire. Then, placing my Pan flute against my lips, I started to play an air that was becoming horrifyingly familiar.

I let the wind carry my notes, hoping they would reach the three men and there unknowing families, wherever they were. Not once did a tear escaped me. Out of respect for the dead, I had made an oath to never shed tears for those gone. It was my way to shoulder their fate, because if I cried each time, than it would only mean that I regret their actions and that would be the greatest disgrace I could do to them.

I stopped playing when the ashes were transported into the cold night, and clenched my teeth as my grief slowly turned to untamable anger.

"I will avenge your deaths and all those before you" I assured, the words familiar on my lips.

The moon was, as always, the only witness of my silent screams for justice as it's rays reflected on my necklace.

Walking back to my room, a lone figure suddenly stood in my way, nearly bumping into me. I took a step back.

"Still alive, Jerkface?"

"Why are you still doing this?" he asked coldly.

My mocking smile slipped, letting place to an impassive mask.

"We already had this… conversation, Ba-Kanda. I'm not in the mood for another pointless debate" I snapped.

"They're dead. They're _Finders_. Dying is what they do. Why do you care so much for walking corpses?" he spat.

"Because they are human beings, just like you and I" I retorted angrily. "You're talking as if you were better than them, but flash news, pretty boy: you're not! You're just a fucking jerk who happened to be a Host and nothing more!"

He stared blankly at me, apparently unimpressed by my outburst.

"They're dead because I wasn't strong enough to save them" I pursued more calmly. "It's not much, but at least, they won't just be forgotten. And you know what? Not being a heartless bastard holier-than-thou like you don't make me weak. It makes me _stronger._ Remember that next time they die for your sake"

I roughly pushed him aside and ignored as he gazed at my retreating back. I knew my words hadn't reach into his thick skull, but I didn't feel like just beating some sense into him right now.

Maybe tomorrow.

* * *

As I stretched for my training, my Golem activated.

 **"** **Aryane! Lenalee and Allen are in town, there's an Akuma attack! The Earl is there too. Go help them now!"**

"On it!"

I ran outside as I pulled on my jacket and, without thinking twice, jumped off the cliff.

"Innocence: Activate!" I yelled.

Instantly, the comforting weight of my wings pressed in my back, and I spread them, gaining speed in the process, before flying as fast as I could towards the town.

After two minutes, explosions could be seen above what I knew was the cemetery. Lenalee and Allen were there, fighting off Akumas, but the Earl wasn't present anymore. He must have ran away before I came here.

Too bad. I'd punch him another time.

"Rocket Spin!"

I closed my wings around my body, forming a perfect cocoon of white feathers, which then turned into sharp blades. Spinning on myself, I propelled myself towards a group of Akuma, going through four of them. Once done, I spread my wings again, taking some height as the four exploded.

"Ary!" exclaimed Lenalee.

"Hey, Jumper" I grinned. "Having fun without me? I'm hurt"

"Just get your job done" she rolled her eyes.

"Aye aye, Captain" I mockingly saluted. "Feathered Blades!"

Again, my feathers turned to blades and I threw them at three other Akumas, who exploded too. Allen and Lenalee finished off the rest and I posed before the Finder who was protecting a crying kid.

I gently patted his head, and he looked up at me, wide eyed.

"Jan, right? Your father is one of the scientists of the Order, if I remember correctly" I remarked, recognizing the kid from a picture on one of the desks.

"Y-yeah" he nodded, looking in awe at my wings. "Are they real?"

"Of course" I chuckled. "It's my Innocence. Are the both of you alright?"

"We are fine, thanks to you and your friends, Lady Exorcist" nodded the Finder.

I grunted at the title. No matter what I said, the Finders wouldn't stop calling me that. Kind of annoying, if you asked me.

"Thanks for the back up, Ary" smiled Allen, joining us.

"No problem. I'll head back first to give Komui a report. Get back soon!" I waved before flying back to the Headquarters.

* * *

The doors of the cafeteria opened, revealing Lenalee and a stunned Allen. I grinned at his face.

"We know it's a little late…" started the other girl Exorcist.

"Okaeri, Allen!" we all yelled, lifting our glasses.

His eyes watered a bit as everyone started laughing and chatting. Amused, I went to him and trapped him in a headlock, before rubbing my knuckles against his head.

"Come on, don't be a crybaby, Kiddo!"

"I'm not crying! And stop calling me that, I'm fifteen!" he protested, freeing himself.

"I'm still older than you, though" I remarked.

"Well, I'm still taller!" he retorted.

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

* * *

 **Hello, hello, to anyone who botters to read this!**

 **So, this is my first -Man Fanfic and my third english one. English isn't my native language, so please, forgive all the mistakes you most probably found. Other than that, please enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Also, I want to do a little game, which will consiste by one question per chapter. Anyone who gets the right answer will be allowed to ask a question about Aryane, the plot in general, and maybe get some spoilers!**

 **So, first question: There were two references to another amazing anime in this first chapter. Which anime is it AND, if you're able to tell, what are the references?**

 **Also, for the french** **traduction: " _Son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you? You stupid enfant of a..."_**

 **Kisses! And reviews!**


	2. The Rewinding Town

**Hello, hello again! Seeing as I got my first review, I'm posting the second chapter!** **Also, since I don't want to be sued or whatever: I DON'T OWN -MAN! There, I won't repeat it again.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The doors of the office open, letting enter Lenalee and Allen with cups of coffee.

"Here's your hot chocolate" smiled the girl, handing me a black mug with a pair of wings on it.

"Thanks, Jumper" I smiled.

"How come you're doing paperwork too?" asked Allen curiously.

"Long story short, I kind of threatened Komui to set Lenalee up with someone if he ever tried to get Ba-Kanda and I to kiss under a mistletoe again" I shrugged. "Why does he keep up with that anyway? We hate each other's guts!"

"That would be Cross Marshall's fault, actually" admitted Reever, a desk away.

The three of us turned to him, surprise.

"What?"

"Well, Komui kept bugging Kanda about his love life and the Marshall just came in and said ' _the line between love and hate is quite blurry'_ and that's that, really"

"Oh God" I banged my head on my desk, and the other two laughed at my despair.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking and, next thing we knew, the wall fall in pieces, revealing a gigantic robot and a very proud Komui.

"… uh?"

I had a really bad feeling about that.

* * *

As it turned out, the robot –name Komlin Two- went bat shit crazy and knocked out Lenalee before trying to kidnap Allen while the other scientists tried to help him and Komui kept stopping their plans.

And me? I finished my paperwork before getting a snack.

* * *

 _A day later_

"So, that's the infamous Rewinding Town?" I asked.

"Yes. I can't enter, but we suspect those with Innocence can" nodded the Finder, who I found out was named Toma.

"And we won't be able to get out before we find it?" added Lenalee.

"That's what we fear, yes"

"Then let's not loose any more time" said Allen. "Let's go!"

He passed the gate, and literally disappeared. I waved at Toma before following my friend, and suddenly found myself in a very animated street. Lenalee joined us, and we started looking around. Everyone seemed to act normally, but something felt weird.

"This is freaky" I finally said.

"Let's split up to cover more ground" proposed Allen.

"Meet back at this restaurant at noon?" said Lenalee.

"Be careful, guys!" I called, before blending in the crowd.

From what we knew, this town kept living the same day, October 28th. We suspected Innocence, of course, but no one seemed to even notice that something was different. Or rather, wasn't.

Oh well. At least there weren't any Akumas.

* * *

Sipping on my cup of hot chocolate, I blinked in greeting when Allen finally joined Lenalee and I.

"Found something?" I asked.

"There was this woman attacked by an Akuma" he said, frowning. "From what I understood, she knows that the same day keeps coming up, but no one else does."

"Where is she now?" asked my friend.

"I… kind of lost her in the crowd. She panicked and ran before I could catch up" he admitted.

"Well, ain't that just gr- is that her?"

There was a terrified squeal as I pointed at the weird woman hiding a few tables away. She was looking at us with wide, terrified eyes, and couldn't stop shaking.

"Do you want to sit with us? Talking will be easier" smiled gently Lenalee.

She came, apparently unsure about what to do, and sat in front of me. She wasn't exactly beautiful, but she wasn't ugly either. It looked more like she was tired than anything else.

"I'm Lenalee Lee. That's Allen Walker, and that's Aryane Darkelston" presented the girl. "What's your name?"

"M-M-Miranda L-Lotto" mumbled the woman.

Well.

That was going to be a _looong_ talk.

* * *

"They're all Level Two" I remarked between my teeth.

"Where do they come from anyway?" asked Allen.

"Does it looks like I know!? Duck!"

He obeyed, escaping a blast.

"Feathered Blades!"

I missed my target, earning mad cackles from the three Akumas that had attacked us not moments ago. I only hoped Lenalee had gotten Miranda to safety.

"That's enough. Let's go" suddenly ordered a childish voice.

We turned to see a little girl around eleven or twelve years old, with spiky black hair and a lollipop in hands. She had a weird umbrella too.

Before we could do anything, though, they disappeared. I blinked.

"Well… that was anticlimactic" I finally remarked.

"Let's go find Lenalee and Miranda-san" frowned Allen.

* * *

We had finally found our two missing and, after convincing Miranda to let us in, managed to hear the whole story about how it all started.

"We can just follow her for the rest of the day and find out what she did to activate the Innocence!" beamed Allen.

"Great idea!" grinned Lenalee.

I stared at them, mouth agape.

And stared.

And stared.

"Are you fucking serious?" I finally asked, earning their attention.

"What do you mean?" Lenalee tilted her head.

"Miranda just told us that everything started when she spent a night crying over this clock. It's the only new thing in her life and the whole rewinding incident started when she got it. Plus, it's a CLOCK! As in TIME! As in REWINDING TOWN! And you still need to find the Innocence!?"

Their eyes widened, and both facepalmed at their own stupidity. I nodded.

"This old clock is the Innocence" I concluded.

"B-b-b-but what d-d-do we do n-n-n-n-now?" asked Miranda, wide eyes in fright.

"The Innocence answered to your depressive state" I frowned, thinking.

"Then what if we find her a job? Then, she won't be depressed and the Innocence might deactivate" proposed the white-haired boy.

"That… could work" I scrunched my nose. "Not convinced, but we'll try your way. Miranda?"

"Y-yes?"

"Do you know of any job that you haven't tried yet?"

"T-t-t-there is t-this travelling c-c-c-circus in t-t-town right n-now" she admitted.

"Then let's get going, people!" I beamed. "We have a job to get!"

* * *

She got accepted, along with Allen, and it was decided that the both of them would work while Lenalee went to get lunch and I kept watch over the perimeter for the Akumas. It was even more dangerous now, with the unknown kid and the found Innocence.

There was a scream down there, and I realized that the money Miranda had had just been stolen. Allen instantly went after the robber, Lenalee behind him, but I narrowed my eyes. It was as if…

"Miranda!" I realized.

Turning back, I saw the woman fall unconscious in a girl's arms, the one from sooner.

"Innocence: acti…"

Pain flared in the back of my head, and I barely felt my body slumping on the roof.

* * *

I snapped my eyes open at a scream.

Horrified, the first thing I saw was some sort of candle darting out of Allen's left eye.

"Allen!" I yelled.

But when I tried to reach for him, I realized I couldn't, tied up in place by some heavy ropes. My scream did attract the attention of the girl, though, and she turned to me, frowning a little.

"I wanted to dress you up too, but I didn't have time" she literally whined.

Wait. Too?

Looking around, I saw Miranda sobbing and tied up after her clock, and Lenalee sitting in a throne, all prettied up and with a Lolita dress on. She had a blank look, as if hypnotized.

I shuddered, happy not to be in her place. Skirts were tolerable, but I couldn't stand dresses.

"Who are you anyway, kid?" I finally managed to ask.

"Road Kamelot" she answered. "And you?"

"Aryane, not exactly a pleasure to meet you but hey, what can I say? You did knock me out before tying me up" I shrugged.

"Actually, I did" said one of the Akuma from sooner.

"So not helping your case" I deadpanned.

That made her laugh.

"You're funny!"

"I've been told. Say, are you an Akuma?"

"Nope" she popped the 'P'. "I'm a Noah"

"Noah?"

"I already explained to Allen Walker, I don't feel like explaining again" she rolled her eyes. "But I'm human, if you really want to know"

"Fair enough" I nodded. "Would you be so kind as to get your candle out of my friend's eye? It's kind of freaking me out"

"Well, aren't you a polite one" she smiled, waving her hand.

I bite back a scream as two candles embedded themselves in my shoulders, pinning me against a wall. I felt my blood splatter on my face as the wounds burned.

"Let's see if your screams amuse me more" she grinned sweetly.

Another pair pierced my legs, but I kept my mouth shut. Of course, it was more out of stubbornness than bravery. Screaming for mercy just wasn't my cup of tea.

Another went through my arm, and I grunted. She got a few nerves, there. She looked disappointed, though.

"Well, you're no fun anymore" she pouted.

"Sorry…" I grunted. "Being used as… a dart board… isn't my kind… of thing"

She used my momentum to sent a new round my way and, this time, I couldn't hold back my gasp as my stomach was ripped apart.

"A-A-Aryane!" exclaimed Miranda, horrified.

"I'm… fine…"

I coughed some blood, and Road lifted her hand again, grinning madly. Miranda started screaming and crying and, suddenly, there was a flash of light.

When I opened my eyes again, I was into some sort of dome. Miranda looked utterly confused, the clock was nowhere to be found, Allen was all healed up and my own injuries were closing by themselves.

"Ary! Are you okay?" asked Allen, worried.

"I'm just peachy. Not like I was used for target practice or anything" I waved my hand. "And your eye?"

"Normal for now. I think Miranda-san is using her Innocence to go back in time, therefore healing our injuries" he explained.

"Then Lenalee should wake up, right?" I asked as he helped me up.

"Uh? What happened?"

Well, talking about the devil.

We went to her and quickly explained the situation. Then, we turned to Miranda.

"Stay here" I ordered. "We'll take care of them"

"Keep up the dome" added Allen.

"And stay safe" concluded Lenalee.

"Y-y-y-you t-t-too!"

"Innocence: activate!" we all yelled.

Not waiting for the others, I propelled myself out of the protecting dome, and was faced by Road and three Akumas. She grinned when she saw me.

"Oh, wings? I can't wait to rip them to shreds!" she cackled.

"You won't touch her" growled Allen, appearing next to me. "Nor Lenalee, or Miranda-san! I won't let you!"

"Same" nodded my other friend, flying next to us.

"Get them" ordered Road.

Clenching my fists, I braced myself for the starting fight, knowing that this time around, we wouldn't get another chance.

* * *

Panting, I suddenly realized we were in Miranda's flat. The poor woman was breathing harshly, barely keeping up her Innocence.

"Miranda-san, it's okay now. Let it go" smiled gently Lenalee.

But she shook her head, near the tears.

"I-I-I can't! If I s-s-s-stop now, all your in-in-injuries will c-come back! I can't wa-wa-watch you s-suffer any-anymore!" she refused.

Allen placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling too.

"We'll be find, Miranda. No one was fatally injured, and our wounds are nothing that can't be healed in a few weeks at most" he assured.

"Plus, you being dead won't exactly help the situation, seeing as we're all be bleeding unconscious around your corpse when the Innocence stops due to your death" I added, checking my nails.

"Ary!" Lenalee swatted my arm.

"What?"

Miranda looked down, and I patted her head.

"We're tougher than we look. Have some faith!" I beamed at her.

She finally nodded, and took a deep breath, before stopping her Innocence. Instantly, I felt my skin being ripped apart all over again and my breath hitched before darkness overcomes my body.

* * *

 **So, I know this chapter was kind of... fast? Sorry, I wrote it from what I remembered from the episode but don't worry, the next ones are written with the direct help of the episodes, so they'll get better as it goes!**

 **Question: In the previous chapter, Kanda called her "Akahato". Anyone can guess what it means?**

 **Answer to the previous question: The anime is Fullmetal Alchemist, and the two references were Maes Hughes, named as one of the three Exorcists dead, and her reaction -more or less- to beeing called short. And yes, it'll be a recurrent thing.**

 **Review!**


	3. Meet the Bookmen

**Nothing important to say, really.**

 **Answer: Akahato is a mix between 'Aka', which means 'red' and 'hato', which means 'pigeon'. I don't speak japanese, so I seriously doubt it's accurate, but if you didn't catch quite yet, Aryane has red hair and her Innocence is wings.**

 **There you go. Enjoy!**

* * *

I groaned when sunlight hit my closed eyelids.

Wait.

Morning?

Rubbing my eyes to get rid of the oncoming headache, I slowly took in my surroundings. Plain walls, an open window, a very uncomfortable bed, an IV in my arm, a flower vase… an IV?

Pulling it out, I winced at the sudden movement that pulled on my stitches, and carefully examined my wounds, remembering how I got them. They were already half-closed, thanks to my own Innocence, which accelerated my healing abilities, but they still hurt like hell.

"Aryane!"

Turning my head, I saw Komui entering my room. I grinned at him.

"Hey, Komui! So, how are Jumper and Allen?" I asked, a little worried.

"They'll be fine. Lenalee is still unconscious, but Allen just woke up a few minutes ago. Bookman is examining him right now" he answered.

"Bookman? You mean that Lavi is here too?" my grin widened.

"Yeah. You want me to fetch him?"

"Nan, I'll give him a little scare" my grin turned to an evil smirk, and the boss inched away.

Then, he scoffed.

"As if you'd be able to get out of that bed"

I narrowed my eyes at him and his owns widened slightly, suddenly realizing what he had just said.

"A challenge?" I asked.

"No, of course n- stay put!"

Ignoring him, I removed the sheets and started to put on my uniform. I heard him sigh in defeat as I put my boots.

"Don't push yourself too hard" he finally said.

"Not if I can help it" I assured. "Lead the way, Boss"

He rolled his eyes, but obeyed anyway and we left the room.

Ignoring the slight pain that echoed through my body at each step, I straightened a little when I heard Bookman's and Lavi's voices, plus Allen's, coming from an open room. Smirking, I shot a mocking salute at Komui before sliding inside.

Then, I jumped on Lavi's back, screaming as I put my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist to keep in place.

"LAVIIIIIII!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

His screech echoed and, unable to hang on to him, I let myself slip on the floor, laughing too hard to breath right.

"Ary!" he whined, realizing who I was.

"O… oh God" I choked, wiping an inexistent tear. "That was precious!"

"That was _so_ not cool" he crossed his arms, pink tinting his ears in embarrassment.

"Hello, Aryane" greeted Bookman, next to Allen.

"Hey, Ji-ji" I waved. "Kiddo, your eye is okay?"

"Stop calling me that! And yeah, I'm fine. How about you? You did got used as a dart board" he remarked.

"What do you mean, dart board?" Lavi frowned, stopping his whining.

"Details" I waved my hand as if chasing a fly. "I can walk, can't I?"

"Out of sheer stubbornness" scoffed Komui, entering the room. "You should still be in bed"

"But I have to move! I'm fine!" I repeated, exasperated. "Heard there was a festival, too. Can I go?"

"No" said strictly Komui and Bookman.

"She'll be going anyway" Lavi pointed out.

I high fived with him on that, and the adults sighed at our childishness.

"Fine, go out! But I am strict, Ary, _no fighting_. I swear that if you do, you'll be on paperwork duty for _a month_. Got it?"

"Clear as water!" I nodded quickly.

I was stubborn, yes. Prideful too. But suicidal? Maybe less. No way am I getting paperwork duty when Lavi and Bookman are finally around.

"Kiddo, you're coming too?"

He groaned at the nickname, but nodded anyway. Lavi helped me up and I hugged him in a more formal way.

"Nice to see you, Bookboy"

"You too, Tenshi"

I grinned at the familiar nickname. It was good to have my partner in crime back.

* * *

As we walked through the crowd, I could see Allen getting more and more agitated. However, before I could do anything to help, a little girl came to him before turning into an Akuma.

Remembering Komui's words, I helped evacuate the citizens while the boys took care of the few demons around. Once done, I came back to them. Allen seemed even more distressed, and I exchanged a glance with Lavi as we entered the forest in hopes of driving the rest of the enemies away from the townspeople.

"Kiddo, stop being so nervous" I finally shook my head.

"I don't like it when I can't see the demons. How do you stand it? Never knowing who's your enemy?" he asked quietly.

"We consider everyone as a potential threat" Lavi shrugged.

"But, that's where the uniforms come in handy, if you want to know" I added.

"What do you mean?"

"As you said, we can't distinguish real people from Akuma. So, instead of walking blindly searching for enemies who are most probably under our noses, we bring them to us with these" Lavi explained.

"They identifies us as threat and therefore, drives them away from the normal people, which make the job easier" I concluded.

He fall in thoughts, and Lavi placed an hand on my shoulder.

"You should go back to Komui and Ji-ji" he said. "There's going to be some trouble here, and you're not allowed to fight"

"But Allen…"

"I'll keep an eye on him" he smiled. "Stop acting like a mother hen, Tenshi"

"Tche" I huffed, looking away. "Fine. But I swear, you better come back in top shape, got it?"

"Aye aye, captain" he ruffled my hair.

"Stop it, Baka-Lavi!" I groaned, pushing his hand away.

He chuckled, and I rolled my eyes, before turning to Allen, who hadn't noticed a thing.

"I'll leave the rest to you two" I told him, making him jump a little. "I won't be much help if I can't even fight. Don't lower your guard, okay?"

He nodded, and I quickly made my way back to the town.

* * *

Careful as to not take the main path, I managed to find my way back to the little hospital where Komui, Bookman and Lenalee were still staying too. When I entered, I found the two first waiting.

"Already done?" Komui lifted an eyebrow.

"I won't be much help if I can't fight, will I?" I retorted, taking a seat next to them. "So, why are you and Lavi here, Ji-ji? I can guess it's because of the Noah girl we met but…"

"You would be correct" the old man nodded. "But your questions will have answers later. Let me check theses wounds"

Of course, he didn't use his needles. Poor man learned the hard way not to put pointy objects under my skin.

"By the way, what happened to Miranda?" I asked, curious.

"She went with another group of Finders to become an Exorcist" answered Komui. "It would seem Lenalee, Allen and you inspired her more than you could guess"

"I'm glad" I smiled a little at that. "But you better be careful. With all the good intentions she can have, she's a real klutz"

He winced at that.

"Yeah, I saw that"

My laugh turned to a hiss when Bookman poked the wound in my left arm. That one had been pinned so hard to the wall behind I feared it would stay stuck.

"What exactly did this?" he asked.

"Candles. The girl controlled them with waving her hand. I'd describe it as telekinesis, but I don't think that's exactly the case" I frowned.

"What did she looked like?"

"She had the appearance of a little girl, eleven or twelve I'd say, but you could tell she was a lot older than that. She could take another appearance though. Freaked me out with that one, too. She's human, but _not_ , at the same time. And from what I've gathered, there are more than just her, too. She ordered the Akuma around, so I'd guess she's right under the Earl on an authority scale, or something like that" I explained.

The two exchanged a glance, and Komui sighed, shaking his head.

"Sometimes, I seriously worry at how much you can be observant when you want too"

I simply shrugged.

"Then again, I could be completely wrong. These are just assumptions. Don't get your hopes too high. I bet Bookboy and Ji-ji could have done better than I did"

"Who would have been better?"

We turned in one movement to see Lavi enter, followed by Allen. The bandage on his eye had fallen, and said eye seemed now fully functional.

"You're healed?"

"Yeah"

"And the Akumas?"

"None" answered Lavi, seating next to me. "Wait, is that a hole in your stomach?"

"… no"

He shot me _the_ look, and I rubbed the back of my head, laughing sheepishly.

"I'm fine, though! Seriously, I can't feel a th- MOTHERFUCKER! _Non mais c'est pas sérieux! Chaque fois c'est la même putain de chose…_ "

I clutched my wound as Bookman stared impassively at me, the tip of his finger covered in blood.

"What is it with you, people? Injuring me more than I already am…" I whined.

"You really haven't changed, Ary. Still a full-mouthed lady" Bookman sighed.

"Lady?" Lavi snorted. "Tenshi is all but that"

I whacked his head for only answer, still cringing from the sudden flare of pain.

"Violence is _not_ a solution" he falsely reprimanded, waving his finger at me.

I stared at him with an impassive face.

"If you don't remove this finger from my face in the next three seconds, I'll bite it off"

Knowing I would, he obeyed without another sound.

Satisfied, I turned my back to him before lying down, my head on his lap.

"And what, pray tell, are you doing now?" he asked, sounding more amused than annoyed.

"Congratulations, you just received an upgrade from Annoying and Useless Friend to Annoying and Pillow Friend. Now let me nap" I grunted, closing my eyes.

"I take offense to that"

"Of course you do"

Komui and Allen laughed softly at our antics, and I could hear Bookman's sigh not that far. Then, now comfortable, I let darkness embrace me.

* * *

 _Two years ago_

 _I watched with blank eyes at the coffins displayed in the Headquarters church. Many had been killed and I couldn't help but feel that it was somewhat my fault. I wasn't there at that time, completing another mission in Africa, and when I came back, everyone was already in mourning._

 _A surprise Akuma attack in town, they said. No Exorcist around to protect the civilians, so the Finders took it upon themselves defends the townspeople while waiting for us. Lenalee came, Kanda, Marie and Daisya too. Suman joined not long after that with Kazaana and Chalker._

 _Grabbing my necklace, I sighed. I didn't feel like facing all of them. They had been part of the battle, they had been able to save a lot. And me? I came fucking late. I felt utterly useless, and I had no right to cry for the fallen ones or offer my sympathies. I mean, come on! I was supposed to be there too! How could I not be when they needed me the most?_

 _So, long story short, I felt ashamed and empty and was now hiding behind two statues, around a good twenty meters above the floor, watching everything unfold with growing anger. Anger at myself, yes, but anger at the Earl most of all._

 _He would pay. For every and each life he took._

 _Suddenly feeling a burning gaze on me, I looked down in search of the one who spotted me, ready to face Lenalee, but instead was met with a green, curious eye. I blinked._

 _It was a boy around my age, with red fiery hair, a scarf and an eyepatch. He seemed a little apathy at the sight before him, as if seeing it one time too much to really care, and an old man with black ringed eyes was standing next to him._

 _He held my stare as I held his, before the other man said something to get his attention. Using this chance, I left the church without a sound. I'd find out who they were later. I really wasn't in the mood right now._

 _The rest of the day was uneventful, and I waited for everyone to go to sleep before going to the top of the tower with my Pan flute. There, I took a deep breath as the cold air hit my skin. Then, I started playing. It was an habit I had developed to mourn those who died on duty, my way to show them the respect they deserved. I couldn't take pictures of all of them, but I hoped my melody would reach them nonetheless._

 _When I finally stopped, I felt eyes on my back once again. Turning around, I saw the boy from sooner, a hammer in hands and curiosity etching on his face._

 _"_ _Who're you?" I frowned._

 _"_ _I'm… Lavi. I'm an apprentice Bookman" he answered. "And you?"_

 _"…_ _Aryane, Exorcist. Nice to meet you, I guess"_

* * *

 **So, for avoiding any questions about this: Lavi is the love interest in this story. He's an awesome character and fits Ary's personality, and that's that. I won't change it, but I can make more Ary/Other moments if there are demands.**

 **French traduction: "You're not fucking serious! Each time it's the damn same thing..."**

 **Question: What does Lavi's nickname for Ary means -Tenshi-? Come on, it's an easy one!**

 **Love and reviews!**


	4. When you gotta go

**Hello, hello! So, for the Guest, I'm glad you approve of my choice of love interest!** **Also, I am more than happy to inform any reader that I finished writing the story until the whole first season, which I consider beeing the whole first 103 episodes or, if you want even more precisions, all the episodes before _Hallow._ I started writing about the second season, which, as I just said, I consider beeing _Hallow_ and the whole thing now goes to 427 pages. So yeah, I'm kind of proud.**

 **Answer: As Guest guessed, 'Tenshi' is the japaneese word for 'Angel'. Again, it's not exactly creative, but it fits, so yeah.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm free, at last!"

"Come on, it wasn't that bad" Lavi rolled his eyes.

"Oi, you weren't the one stuck in a fricking bed for months!" I retorted.

"Four days, Tenshi. It's been four days" he shook his head. "Anyway. Want to grab a bite?"

"Good idea. I'm starving!"

Pulling him behind, I ran to the cafeteria. My wounds were completely healed, and I was finally allowed to go back to missions, training and life in general. Alleluia!

We entered the cafeteria just in time to see Allen and Kanda-jerk fighting.

Again.

"Hey, what's the commotion about?" I called, coming to them.

"Don't meddle in things that doesn't concern you, Akahato" grunted Kanda.

"What if I don't want too, Jerkface?" I glared.

"Hey, Yuu! Long time no see!" waved happily Lavi.

As the crazy swordsman chased him around, I turned to Allen with a smile.

"So, how's been life?"

He shrugged, making me laugh. Timcanpy sat on my head and I went to Jeryy to get my lunch. As I brought back five trays full of food, my own Golem activated.

 **"** **Aryane, Allen, Lavi and Kanda, you are to report to my office right now for a mission"**

"Shoot" I muttered.

My stomach growled in protest, but I left for the office anyway. No point in risking paperwork duty because of lateness. I swear Komui could find any excuse to make us do his work!

And on top of that, I had to go with Kanda.

Oh well. At lest Lavi, Bookman and Allen would be there too.

* * *

"Thank you for reporting as fast" nodded Komui. "Allen, Kanda, Lavi and Bookman, you are to investigate an interesting snowstorm in the north. I'll give you the details in a few minutes. Ary, you have a different mission"

I straightened at that, more serious. Solo missions were my forte, but they always tended to end with… more drama than necessary.

"There are words of a monster's attack in a little village in Romania. A vampire, from the sound of it" he said, handing me a file. "You are to investigate what is actually causing the attacks, as we suspect Innocence and Akumas might be behind it"

"Never one without the other" I mumbled, tucking the file under my arm. "But even if I am confident in my skills, I don't think I'd be able to face a bunch of Akumas alone if it was to come they are all Level Two. Why sending me alone?"

"You are there to investigate, not engage in an all-out battle" he said seriously. "Go pack, and I'll give the rest of the details later"

"Roger that!"

I beamed at the boys before leaving to my room. Only once the door was closed behind me that I allowed my smile to slip. I knew I was capable of handling a lot. I was strong, like any Exorcist should be. I knew how to fight, and it wasn't my first solo missions. In fact, I usually was better at these because I didn't have to protect anyone while destroying Akumas.

The thing is, with the Noah's now part of the game, I couldn't help but feel worried about a possible encounter with one of them. No matter how my pride took a blow at that, I had been no match for Road Kamelot. I wasn't even able to get more than ten meters from her. If it came to this, how the hell would I be able to survive against one I didn't even knew the abilities?

I shook my head, entering my room. All these were hypothesis. There wasn't that big of a chance to encounter one of them, seriously. They wouldn't risk loosing the element of surprise on us by attacking one mere Exorcist. Plus, Komui wouldn't send me unless he didn't think I could handle it.

Steeling my resolve, I quickly packed my things and placed the file in my bag before going back to the office.

* * *

When I got there, the boys and Bookman weren't there anymore. I stood before Komui, a little anxious despite all.

"I know you worry about meeting Noahs there" he said, crossing his fingers under his chin. "But as I said, you are only to investigate. You are to report any findings via your Golem, and to avoid fighting as much as you can. You also have a side mission"

"Which would be?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Cross Marian has been sighed in the village. I want you to find him and ask him how far he is in his assignment"

"Assignment?"

"He'll know. If he isn't there anymore, don't go after him and stick to your primordial mission. You'll leave with the others and take off on your own at the village. That'll be all"

"Got it. Tell me if Jumper wakes up, okay?"

"Will do"

I smiled at him and made a move to leave.

"Aryane?"

"Hm?"

"Be careful. I'm serious"

I scoffed at that.

"I'm not suicidal, you know. But… thanks for the head's up, I guess. I'll contact once I'm there"

"Good luck"

He went back to his paperwork, and I sighed heavily once the door closed once more. Komui could be a real brat sometimes, but there were moments where he was just so serious it freaked me out.

* * *

"So, what are you investigating?" asked curiously Allen, peering on my shoulder to read the file.

"A vampire near the village, apparently, but we suspect Innocence. Honestly, we have no idea what to be ready for. I'm going completely blind" I grunted, a little annoyed at that fact.

"What, scared, Akahato?" mocked Kanda.

"You wish, Jerkface"

"What's _Side Mission_?" read Lavi.

"Oh, that? I have to get in touch with Cross Marian" I shrugged. "Stupid womanizer is in town, apparently. He's not priority, though"

"Search the bars and brothels first" Allen said in a deadpanned voice.

"I know"

"And don't let him touch you!"

"I won't"

"And if he tries anything…"

"Kiddo, you sound like my mother" I scoffed, ruffling his hair. "I know it's your master, but I can handle him"

"Is he that bad?" asked Lavi, a little confused.

"You have no idea" we said in one voice.

Bookman smirked a little at that, but said nothing. Kanda kept on ignoring us, and I put away the mission file when my stop came in view.

* * *

The train stopped a minute later and I got off, before turning to the window where Lavi and Allen were peering their heads.

"Be careful, Ary!" called Allen.

"And come back in one piece, would you?" added Lavi.

The train started moving again.

"Same to the three of you! Oh, and Ba-Kanda too, I guess" I yelled after them.

For only answer, he shot me the middle finger.

"Love you too, Jerkface!" I cackled.

Then, I waved until the train wasn't in view anymore. Once done, I turned to the town. Even if the sky was still high in the sky, no one was in the street. I huffed a little at that, and started my search for an inn.

* * *

I finally managed to find a room in a cheap but nice inn. Once my things were settled, I turned on my Golem.

"Headquarters, this is Aryane Darkelston, reporting my arrival" I announced.

After a little buzz, Reever's voice was heard.

 **"** **Aryane? Good to hear from you. You got to the town?"**

"Yeah, I'm there. I'll start the investigation. Anything in particular I have to look for?" I asked.

 **"** **Take any information you can about the attacks. If you find anything about Cross Marshall, that's okay too"**

"I'll get on it, then. I'll report tomorrow morning"

 **"** **We'll be waiting. Be careful"**

"Why does everyone keeps telling me that?" I asked, exasperated. "I ain't about to jump off a cliff, you know"

He chuckled as only answer, and the connection was cut.

I got up, stretching a little, then looked outside. At least two hour before the sun settled down. Deciding to start with some lunch (I still hadn't eaten), I went downstairs where I asked for a little of everything.

* * *

As I was served, the woman seemed a little anxious, and kept glancing at the silver rose proudly shining on my chest.

"Can I help you with something?" I finally said, taking a sip of my water.

She reddened a little.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just t-that your uniform looks like the one a m-man was wearing" she said.

"Let me guess: red hair, half his face covered, quite tall and a real womanizer?" I summarized.

She blushed a little more at that, and shook her head.

"Y-yes"

"I see. Could you indicate me to his current location?" I asked.

"He's at the o-only bar in town, just at the end of t-the street" she stuttered.

"Thank you for the help, and for the meal"

I got up and grabbed my coat, heading outside.

"B-but you haven't eaten y-yet!" she protested.

"Don't remind me" I groaned, walking out.

* * *

Quickly making my way down the street, the bar was easy to find. Making my way inside, I was instantly hit by the smell of strong alcohol and laughs echoing all around.

"Hey there, 'lil lady" grinned the bartender. "Can I help with sometin'?"

"Do you know where I can find a man with red hair, with the same uniform as I'm wearing?" I asked.

He nodded and pointed at the back of the room. I looked that way, and saw my target.

"That'd be him?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the help" I threw a coin at him before heading for Cross.

When I got to him, I scrunched my nose at the sight: he was sitting on a dirty couch with two… hum, lovely ladies, with loads of empty bottles on the floor. I coughed to get his attention, but it obviously didn't worked.

"Cross Marian" I called.

Seeing as he still didn't pay attention, my nerves flared a little. I was tired by my trip, and fucking hungry, and I wasn't going to stand for his drama. So, stomping to him, I roughly grabbed his left ear and pulled.

"Oi, you filthy womanizer!"

"Unhand me, woman!" he spluttered, struggling to get free.

Seeing as he finally paid attention, I let go. He falls back on the couch, massaging his ear and glaring at me.

I crossed my arms, annoyed.

"Cross Marshall" I greeted, somewhat more calm.

"Aryane Darkelston" he drawled, taking a swing. "To what do I owe the honors? Unless you're interested, of course, in…"

"Don't even finish that sentence" I cut harshly. "Seriously, you sound like a child predator, sometimes. But anyway, I need to talk to you. Alone"

Taking the hint, the two woman with him slipped him a paper and walked away. He sighed heavily.

"Aryane, Aryane, always breaking my fun" he groaned.

There goes another swing.

"Komui wanted me to ask how is going your assignment" I asked.

"Tell him to just let me do my damn job" he shrugged.

And another swing.

"I won't leave until you give me an answer" I glared at him.

"I know you won't. Persistent little thing, aren't you?"

And another one.

"Don't call me little" a vein popped on my forehead. "And just give a damn answer so I can go eat. I'm starving"

"Tell him it's almost done. A few months, nothing more" he finally gave in.

"Finally!"

Without bothering to say a goodbye, I got back on my feet and headed for the door. However, before I could reach the handle, someone grabbed my wrist and spin me around, making me face a man who had obviously taken one bottle too much.

"Let me go if you don't want to loose this hand" I threatened quietly.

"Aw, come on! I can give you the time of your life, sweet cheeks" he slurred.

"I said no!"

"And I…"

He slumped on the ground before being able to end his sentence.

"I could have handle it" I said to Cross.

"I can't stand when man can't take a hint" he shrugged. "You haven't eaten yet? Well, dinner's on me, how about that?"

"I swear, if you're trying to get me in your bed _one more fucking time_ …"

He swings his arm around my shoulders and leaded us outside.

"What, too hard to believe I'm doing that out of my heart?" he whined.

"You don't have one" I pointed out.

"True, true. But I do have something el…"

Grabbing his arm, I swung him above my head and smirked when I heard him land on his back in a rough 'THUD'.

"I just can't stand guys who can't take a hint" I mocked.

"Fine, fine, I asked for it" he grumbled, getting up.

"What do you _really_ want, Cross?" I grunted. "I thought you'd be going back to your… hum, business with the ladies"

"Give this to Komui when you see him" he handed me a paper.

"Can I read it?"

He shot me a look, and I shrugged.

"How's my stupid pupil?" he then asked.

"The kid's still alive, if you really want to know" I assured. "I think he's still mad about the whole knock-out-with-a-hammer thing, though"

He chuckled sheepishly, and I stuffed the paper in my pocket.

"Anyway, I got another mission to get to. And, since I'm guessing that we won't cross paths before a certain time…"

Not loosing time, I punched him straight in the jaw.

"That's for telling Komui that Kanda-jerk and I had a thing" I snarled. "I swear, if you ever pull another stunt like that, you won't be able to procreate anymore!"

He nodded quickly, and I beamed at him.

"Good. Have a good night, Marshall"

"Hey, Aryane!"

I tilted my head his way.

"Don't let appearances confuse your judgment" he simply said.

Frowning, I fully turned to him, but he was already going back in the bar. Finally, I shrugged and went back to my inn.

* * *

Next morning, I took my time before I finally activated my Golem.

"Aryane Darkelston reporting" I announced.

 **"** **Hey, Ary. So, anything new?"**

"First of all, I came in contact with Cross. Can you get me Komui?"

 **"** **Already here, Aryane. What did he say?"**

"To let him do his damn job" I repeated with a small smile. "And that it's almost done, not more than a few months. He also gave me a paper to give to you once back to Headquarters"

 **"** **Good, good. And about the vampire crisis?"**

"Apparently, there have been two victims. The first one was drained so much she turned to dust and the second one was taken to the castle beyond the forest. From the sayings of the villagers, this castle is habited by the heir of the Krory family, and is our dear vampire. Should I directly go to the castle to gather more information?"

There was a moment of silence.

 **"** **You do that, but don't get caught. If there are Akumas, destroy them on the way. Don't engage our vampire"**

"Got it. I'll report tonight"

Once again, the connection was cut. I quickly changed into my uniform before opening the window, just in time to see Cross leaving the town. He sent me a wink, I sent him the middle finger, making him laugh before leaving. I waved after him, than came back inside, readjusting the insignia on my chest.

I had a long day ahead of me.

* * *

 **As you have seen, Aryane and Cross's relation is quite the rocky one. And yes, I do consider the Marshall to act like a fucking child predator sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love his character, but he's such a creep with Lenalee sometimes...**

 **Anyway.**

 **Question: What did Cross could have meant when he said** 'Don't let appearances confuse your judgment' **to Aryane? For any who saw the Anime, it should be easy enough, ne?**


	5. The Vampire and the Akuma

**Hello, hello! It's just to say that I am glad to inform whoever is reading this that, after 524 pages, 42 chapters and 170 957 words, I managed to finish the original plotline. Otherwise said, I wrote the whole 116 episodes.**

 **That means that, passed the 42nd chapter, it will become my very own storyline, seeing as their doesn't seem to be a sequel to _Hallow_.**

 **Anyway, we're not there yet.**

 **Answer: Well, the answer is in this very chapter so... yeah.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Stupid forest… stupid trees… stupid roots…" I muttered, fighting my way through the damn woods.

My foot hit a rock, and I barely kept my balance.

"And of course, I'd get lost" I groaned. "Go on, Ary, go in the haunted forest and get lost until sundown so that the vampire can get you easy-peasy…"

A twig cracked, and I spin around, ready to strike. However, I couldn't make out a clear form in all the moving shadows.

There was another crack.

"Who's there?" I called, voice unwavering.

My instincts suddenly kicking like a wild animal, I jumped on the side in time to avoid a hooded figure. I then found myself facing a tall man with a cape and a white strand of hair.

"Uh… hello? Are you the one the villagers call a vampire?" I asked.

He ran at me again, and I dropped on the ground, effectively evading another attack.

"Hey, I just want to talk, okay? I'm not here for trouble!" I assured.

He came at me, than disappeared. I blinked.

"Uh?"

Arms slithered around me and I found myself trapped in the man's hold.

"H-hey! Put me down!" I struggled.

How in the hell can he be so strong? And so fast too!

I stopped moving when pain flared in my neck. Did he just… bite me?

As fast as he caught me, he let me go, spitting the blood he had stolen from my body. He coughed a lot, seeming ready to rub his tongue on the ground to get rid of the taste that was apparently not up to his expectations.

"Uh… you okay there?" I rubbed the back of my head.

"Why… why does your blood tastes different?" he muttered.

He seemed ready to hurl, still spitting and coughing.

"… is it a rhetorical question?"

Next thing I knew, he was running away.

"O-oi! Wait for me! Mister vampire sir!" I yelled, running after him.

But, seeing as I wouldn't be able to catch up, I quickly spread my wings and pursued him by above. The castle now in view, I managed to get to the gates before him.

When he got out of the forest, I stood between him and his only way in. He froze in spot when his eyes landed on my wings.

"… an angel?" he asked.

"Err… no, not exactly. Listen, can we just talk? I'm serious, I don't want to cause any trouble" I said, waving my hands.

He looked down for a moment, apparently unsure, and I deactivated my Innocence.

"My name is Aryane Darkelston" I finally said, handing out my hand to him. "Nice to meet you"

He looked at my hand, than my face, than my hand again, before shaking it with hesitation.

"Arystar… Krory, the Third" he finally said, as if expecting me to run away.

I simply beamed at him.

"The man I wanted to see! Okay, so can I ask a few questions?"

He nodded.

"Cool! Okay, first of all, why did you attacked those two villagers?"

His face darkened a little, and he looked away, shame apparent on his features.

"I… couldn't control myself. When I saw them in the woods… I didn't want too, but I couldn't control it!"

"It's fine, it's fine" I shook my head. "What about the one you brought in the castle, is he dead?"

"… yes."

"Do you think… I could see the body?"

He stared for a moment, than nodded again.

"Great! Lead the way than, Mister Krory!"

His back straightened a little as we entered the property and I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something…

Shoot! I wasn't allowed to engage him!

Oh well. Komui would understand.

* * *

After a few minutes, we entered the castle, and I shuddered a little at the sight of the gigantic flowers in a room that we passed by.

"So… you like plants?" I weakly asked.

"My… grand-father collected them" he simply said.

I hummed in understanding, and took a look around.

"It must get pretty lonely here, alone in a gigantic castle like this one" I couldn't help but remark.

"I… am not. Alone. There is someone else…" he trailed off.

"Oh, that's nice. At least you have a friend" I smiled at that.

I could see him eased up a little at the comment.

"I guess you are right. I…"

"Arystar-sama! Where… oh, who is your guest?"

We both turned around and I felt a chill run down my spine.

The woman was really beautiful, but something was off about her. Maybe the way-too-short skirt? I couldn't tell. However, seeing as she was apparently Krory's friend, I simply smiled at her and held out my hand in greeting. For a second, disdain and hate flashed in her eyes, but it was gone before I could see anything else. She shook my hand.

"I'm Aryane" I simply said. "You must be Mister Krory's friend, right?"

"… I am. My name is Eliade" she presented herself.

"She came for the body" said quietly Krory.

She frowned a little at that but, again, an impassive mask fall on her face.

"I'll show her the way, than. If you would follow me…"

"It was nice meeting you, Mister Krory!" I waved at the man, before following the maid.

I fall in step with her but, as soon as the doors closed behind us, I put some distance between us. She stopped, and faced me, face blank.

"What is an Exorcist doing here?" she asked frostily.

"Oh. Akuma. I get it" I nodded. "I could ask you the same thing, though"

"I won't let you take Krory from me!" she suddenly snarled.

"… uh? What? No! I just came to investigate the disappearance!" I shook my head quickly. "And it would seem I have found the culprit. I'm sorry, but you'll have to die here, Akuma"

"Not if I kill you first, Exorcist!"

"Innocence: Activate!"

I flew in time to avoid her attack, which hit a wall. She sneered at me, but didn't seem quite ready to let go of her meat suit.

My eyes widened slightly.

"Mister Krory doesn't know your true nature, does he?"

"JUST DIE ALREADY!"

"Feathered Blades!"

She screeched when one of them scratched her arms and, next thing I knew, I was sent flying against a wall. I dropped on the floor, panting, my vision getting blurry.

"Eliade! Eliade, are you alright?"

Krory was next to her, and my eyes narrowed when hunger appeared on his traits. He was looking at Eliade's blood with so much desire…

"She attacked me out of nowhere!" she exclaimed. "Please, Krory-sama, take my blood and defeat her!"

"What? No! Mister Krory, this woman…"

Pain erupted in the back of my head and my voice fall.

Wait.

Why am I lying on the floor?

"She's down! Now is the time to strike!"

"Eliade…"

Their voices echoed as if we were underwater and, before I knew it, I was already slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

When I woke up, I was in a dark and spacious room, tied up in chains against a wall. I looked around, a little lost. Why wasn't I dead?

"Who are you _really?"_

Jumping a little, I turned to see Krory. He seemed stern, sitting a few meters away. Eliade was nowhere to be seen.

"Wh-what happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"A rock hit your head. You were unconscious for four days" he answered quietly. "Now tell me: who are you and why did you attack Eliade?"

I sighed, trying to get a little more comfortable despite the bindings.

"I'm Aryane Darkelston, an Exorcist from the Black Order" I answered truthfully. "I came here to investigate the deaths and rumors because the organization I work for suspected it was caused by a fragment of Innocence"

"E… xorcist? Innocence?" he frowned.

"It's kind of complicated" I sighed. "I didn't attack… Eliade, either. She did. Tried to kill me when she realized who I was"

"Eliade would never do such a thing!" he protested, suddenly aggressive.

"She's not human" I shook my head. "And you're not a vampire. Remember how my blood tasted? That's human blood. The one you hunger for is the Akuma's, weapons created by a despicable being in hopes of destroying humanity. Eliade is an Akuma, serving the Millennium Earl and enemy of the Exorcists. She came here most probably to get her hands on your Innocence or something of the kind. She's…"

"Shut up! Eliade is human! She's kind and compassionate and…"

There was an explosion outside, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Explosive too?"

"Eliade!"

Completely forgetting about me, he ran out of the room. Groaning, I thought for a moment. Krory's Innocence was apparently hard for him to control, but he didn't know what it was in the first place. He was convinced by this Eliade lady that he was a vampire but the victims were, in fact, merely other Akumas, which would explain why he couldn't drink my blood or why the first victim turned to dust.

 _He nodded quickly, and I beamed at him._

 _"_ _Great. Have a good night, Marshall"_

 _"_ _Hey, Aryane!"_

 _I tilted my head his way._

 _"_ _Don't let appearances confuse your judgment" he simply said._

 _Frowning, I fully turned to him, but he was already going back in the bar. Finally, I shrugged and went back to my inn._

Wait, did that meant he came here before?

Damn filthy womanizer.

"Innocence: Activate!"

With my wings appearing in my back, the chains broke. Getting up, I swayed on my feet a little.

Oh, right. I haven't eaten in days, meaning I couldn't push myself.

There was another explosion, and I peered outside, only to see Krory fighting… Lavi? Without wasting any more time, I pushed open the windows and jumped from the balcony, halting my fall when I was a few meters away from the ground. Carefully posing between them, I spread my wings as far as I could to stop the fight.

"That's enough, you two! Knock it out!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing in the sudden silence.

"Ary!"

"What are you doing here, Bookboy?" I frowned.

"You disappeared four days ago, Komui sent us to fetch you" he answered, joining my side. "Where the hell were you?"

"Unconscious" I shrugged. "But listen, Mister Krory isn't a vampire or anything, he's an Accommodator! And the maid lady is in reality an Akuma"

"Yeah, we guessed that" he nodded, his hammer returning to it's normal size.

"She isn't!" exclaimed angrily Krory, on the other side of the backyard.

The castle shook on it's foundations, and I shot a look at Lavi.

"We?"

"Allen's here too" he informed. "Probably fighting this Eliade right now"

"Mister Krory, you have to understand!" I pleaded. "We are not your enemies, so please, just listen to…"

I jumped away as he was suddenly where I was standing. He punched Lavi, sending him straight into a tree. I winced a little when it cracked, and took two of my feathers that had turned into blades, ready to defend myself.

"If you just go inside and see for yourself, you could…"

"I WON'T LET YOU TARNISH HER NAME ANYMORE!"

He jumped, too high for a normal human, and managed to grab my leg. He bit it, and I swallowed a scream of pain before kicking him off. He fall back on the ground, and I posed not too far away.

The bleeding wouldn't stop, though.

"Damn it" I muttered. "I don't have enough juice to heal properly…"

Dark spots danced in my vision as I felt my stomach cramp in need of food, but I shook it away. Now was so not the time to black out.

"Big hammer, little hammer: grow, grow, grow! Fire Seal: _Hiban_!" yelled Lavi.

A giant fire snake rose and swallowed Krory, sending him through the walls of his castle. At the same time, two other people smash through it and started falling. Instantly, I flew up to catch Allen, who's eyes widened when he saw me.

"Ary!"

"Hey, Kiddo!" I grinned, posing us on the ground more or less gently. "How's life going?"

"Are you okay? Why isn't your leg healing?"

"I haven't eaten for a while, so I'm a little out of juice for now" I cringed.

He winced in sympathy, him knowing the effects the lack of food could have on the body of a parasitic type of Anti-Akuma weapon.

"Arystar-sama!"

We both turned to Eliade and Krory as Lavi joined us, and my eyes widened. There was something above the maid, floating in chains. It was horrible, and seemed so destroyed and lonely… I felt the urge to throw up, but couldn't bring myself to it.

"What… is that thing?" whispered Lavi.

"You can see the soul?" Allen asked, surprised.

"It's horrible" I placed an hand on my mouth, looking away.

"It might be your new eye" remarked Lavi, shocked.

"E-Eliade… what is it… that thing, attached to you…" muttered a hazy Krory.

I took a deep breath.

"I tried to warn you, Mister Krory" I said, my voice lingering in the heavy silence once again. "She's an Akuma, a weapon destined to kill us all"

"N-no… Eliade… you're not…"

Blood dripped and sizzled, confirming that she was, in fact, a monster. Suddenly, her face broke in an ugly snarl and she pushed the man away.

"I CAN'T LET YOU BECOME AN EXORCIST! DIE, ARYSTAR KRORY!"

She started attacking him, but he wasn't able to fight back.

"Damn it, Crow-chan is tired from playing with me sooner!" panicked Lavi.

"Crow… chan?" Allen repeated, a little confused.

"We have to help him befo- whoa!"

My legs gave up under me as my vision blurred. Everything twisted around, and I felt really light-headed with an heavy cramp splitting my stomach in two. I felt two arms wrap around me and I looked up into Lavi's green eye.

"Ary, you okay?" he asked, frowning.

"She lost a lot of blood" remarked Allen, worried too. "And she can't use _Angel_ to heal either, seeing as she hasn't eaten in days"

"I'll be fine" I assured, my voice sounding oddly high pitched. "Just go help Mister Krory…"

"But- Crap!"

Looking around, I realized that the gigantic flowers that I saw the first day now surrounded us. Funny, I hadn't realize they could walk…

Wait. Why am I in the air?

I looked down and saw the panic-stricken faces of Allen and Lavi, which made me giggle as I waved at them.

"Hey guys! Why are you standing upside down?" I laughed. "You're so weird!"

"She's completely out of it" Lavi shook his head.

"Ary, don't worry, we'll get you out of there, just don't…" Allen started.

He was suddenly grabbed by the ankles and lifted next to me, which made me laugh harder.

"Way to save the day, Allen" I snorted.

Everything suddenly started moving really fast all around.

"ARY!"

"WEEEEEEEEEEE!"

And it turned and turned and turned and…

And suddenly, everything went black.

* * *

 **Kind of a short chapter, I know, but no matter. As for Ary's Innocence, well... a parasitic-type needs loads of food to work, and she hasn't eaten in four days, so of course she'd be weak.**

 **Question: What will be Komui's reaction when they finally get back to Headquarters? ;-)**

 **Reviews are love!**


	6. On the way back

**I'm back with the sixth chapter, and the story is still advancing really well. I even know the end already!**

 **Answer: Then again, Komui's reaction is in this very chapter!**

 **I hope you enjoy, for however is reading this!**

* * *

I snapped my eyes open when cold air hit my skin. Groaning a little as a splitting headache started, I looked up and saw Lavi smiling down at me.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty is awake at last" he grinned.

"Shut up" I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "What happened? Where are we?"

"Outside the castle. Krory is packing his things and we're waiting for him" Allen answered, crouching next to me. "How're you feeling?"

"Hungry"

They both laughed at that, and Allen handed me a few snack bar he had brought with him. I ate them in less than a minute, feeling better. Still hungry, of course, but I wouldn't faint this time around.

"What happened?" I asked again.

"Crow-chan killed Eliade" said Lavi. "He's coming back with us to become an Exorcist. Komui agreed and guess what? You'll have one nice earful waiting for you once we go back"

"Hurray" I muttered, sitting up.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, making us jump. My eyes widened in fright as flames devoured the remains of the castle.

"Did Mister Krory just…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"What are these faces?" chuckled a voice coming from the fire.

A figure walked out, soon revealed to be Krory alive and well, if not looking a little worn out.

"Don't scare us like that" I breathed, relieved. " _Espèce de malade, me donner une crise de cœur comme ça…"_

"Let's go back to the village" proposed Allen.

"Hey, Bookboy!" I called, lifting my arms. "Piggyback ride?"

He snorted, but crouched down nonetheless.

"Yes!" I cheered, climbing on his back.

He got up, and I snuggled a little closer into his back.

"I'm tired… and hungry…" I mumbled.

"Don't forget a complete idiot too" he muttered. "Scaring us like that back there. You can't just faint when you want too, and even less when you're trapped by evil man-eating flowers, you know"

"So sorry for not calling ahead" I drawled.

He simply chuckled, and we walked back to the village in utter silence.

* * *

We came back to the inn, where I ate as much as I could (I think I emptied the kitchens, but anyway) before we split for the night. The boys went back to their rooms with Krory, and I went back to mine.

I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed, my hand clenched around my necklace.

* * *

Next morning came. I was well rested, my injury had healed over night, and my head wasn't pounding anymore. I was still full from the… hum, lunch, from last evening, so I didn't bother with breakfast, and gathered all my things, careful as to _not_ turn on my Golem. No way am I facing Komui right now.

I then went downstairs to wait for the boys, who arrived shortly after that.

"Hey Kiddo, Bookboy, Krory!" I beamed at them.

"Feeling okay, Tenshi?" asked Lavi.

"Never been better" I assured. "Ready to leave this dump? No offense, Krory"

He simply shrugged, but never met my eyes. I frowned a little at that.

"He feels bad about everything that happened" whispered Allen in my ear as we made our way to the train station.

"Oh. I'll talk to him once on the train then. And wh-"

"Monster!"

"Vampire!"

"Get out of here!"

We turned in time to see Lavi and Krory surrounded by a bunch of angry villagers.

Annoyed, I pushed my way trough the crowd to stand beside our new recruit.

"What are these shenanigans all about?" I exclaimed, loud enough to be heard.

"This monster killed five of us!" yelled someone.

"Get him to burn with his castle!" yelled another.

"Krory is all but a monster, you filthy scum!" I yelled back, fists shaking. "He's now an Exorcist, a man like you ready to put his own life on the lign to save your sorry asses! So don't you fucking dare to call him a monster, because it makes you no better than those we destroyed not even a day ago! _Bande de vicieux enfoirés! Attendez que je vous fasse la peau, espèce de mollusques décérébrés de mon-_ "

An hand was placed on my shoulder, and I lifted my eyes to met Krory's gentle ones.

"It's fine, Aryane. Let's just go" he said quietly.

I nodded, and the crowd opened as we made our way to the station.

"Sorry for loosing my temper" I sighed. "I just… I can't stand when people are so ungrateful!"

"It's part of the job, Tenshi" replied Lavi, ruffling my hair. "But nice outburst anyway. A little more and I'd have done it myself. Also, I still don't get everything you spout in French, but it's funny as hell"

I rolled my eyes, and we finally got on the train.

* * *

Sitting next to the window, everything was silent for a few minutes, before I realized that Krory seemed to be getting more and more nervous as time passed by, his eyes shifting to each five seconds.

"Hey, Krory. I'll go stretch my legs a little. Want to come with me?" I proposed with a smile.

He nodded, a little stiff, and we passed through a few wagons before I leaded us at the last one and opened the door leading outside. Then, I sat on the edge as the wind made my hair flew around my face.

Krory stayed a little behind, apparently struggling to find his words, and I smiled a little at that.

"You don't have to feel bad, you know. Back there, you considered us your enemies. It was your right to attack us" I remarked.

"… I bite you" he said quietly.

"You did" I hummed. "Pretty hard, at that. But hey, can't be helped, can it?"

"You tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. You were hurt because of me and almost got killed. I'm sorry"

"So what, I'm still alive, aren't I?" I lifted an eyebrow at him. "Trust me, it takes more than that to take me down. Plus, I know Eliade meant a great deal to you. And even though she was an Akuma, I can tell… in her own way, she cared a lot for you too. She had to die to be free, and I think she was glad it was to your hand"

"… I loved her" he admitted.

"And you won't ever stop" I retorted. "But you have to honor her memory and fight for what you think is the right thing. In this war… we won't be able to go through without casualties for both sides. Hell" I scoffed. "I don't expect to reach my thirties, seriously"

"Don't say that" he frowned.

"It's true, though. Parasitic Type of Innocence shortens de lifespan of it's user. I'll be lucky if I get to twenty-eight" I replied. "But it's not important right now. What is is that even if we loose our allies, friends, family… we can't stop to fight. Because that would mean their deaths have been in vain, wasted. And that's the greatest disgrace you can offer them"

He stayed silent for a moment, and I let him organize his thoughts.

"You are quite wise, for your age" he finally remarked, in slight awe.

I snorted in a very unladylike manner.

"I'm not, I just had a lot of experience and time to think about it. Seriously, everyone will probably tell you I'm the most reckless Exorcist they ever had" I assured.

"Thank you" he offered me a little smile.

"No problem, Buffy" I patted his shoulder and got up.

He lifted an eyebrow, a little confused.

"Buffy?"

"I like to give my friends nicknames" I shrugged. "You'll figure it out sooner or later. I'll head for the restaurant, now. You can explore a little, we have a few hours before reaching our stop. Oh, and call me Ary. It's shorter" I winked, than walked inside.

Closing the door behind me, I smiled a little. He was so cute! He acted like a child who discovered everything for the first time…, which he probably was, now that I thought about it.

Suddenly, a familiar smell invaded my nose, making me drool.

"PIE!"

* * *

As I ate my eleventh part of pie (sugar), Allen and Lavi entered the wagon-restaurant, apparently searching for something.

"Hey, Ary! Have you seen Krory?" called the whitehead when he spotted me at a table.

"He's exploring" I shrugged. "We talked a little then I left him. Why?"

"He still hasn't come back" from Lavi. "You think he's lost?"

"Well… he did never took the train before" I swallowed. "I'll help you out. I'll search the front wagons and you see if he's still in the back, okay?"

"Aye aye, Captain!" they saluted in one movement, clearly mocking me.

For only answer, I threw some pie at them. They simply laughed, and I rolled my eyes.

"Just get on with it, you morons"

Still snickering, they went in the back, and I headed for the front. Quickly passing the wagons one after the other, I started worrying too. He was nowhere to be seen! To think he just disappeared.

Biting my lower lip, I opened another door, and nearly tripped on someone sitting behind it.

"Oi, what's the idea, id- Buffy? What are you… WHY ARE YOU IN YOUR UNDERWEAR?"

Someone arrived behind me, and I shot a look at Lavi and Allen, who seemed as surprised as I to see our new recruit playing cards in his underwear with three… hum, gentlemen, and a kid.

"Crow-chan, what happened?"

"T-they asked me to play something c-called poker… and it just went too fast…" he muttered, looking away.

I facepalmed at that, unable to help it. Trust our dear, little, naïve friend to play all his belongings in a game he didn't even knew the name before today.

"Oi, running away?" called one of them.

"You've already accepted the match, haven't you? If you're a man, stick with it until the end!" added the one who seemed the leader.

Allen suddenly handed over his coat, earning surprise looks.

"All the trimmings of this coat are made of silver" he assured. "If I wager this for all of our friend's belongings, will you care to have a match with me?"

"Allen, what are you…" started Lavi.

"Ooh, I want in too!" I beamed at them, taking a seat next to the one with a hat.

"H-hey, lady! That's not…" he started.

I shot him a glare, effectively shutting him up.

"I'll wager too, if you really want to know. What, too scared that I'll wipe your sorry asses?"

He quickly shook his head, and the one with the glasses chuckled, shuffling the cards.

"Now, now, play nice" he grinned, taking a smoke. "Who are we to deny a lady?"

I snorted at that, along with Lavi and Allen.

"Sir, I ain't a lady" I assured, waving my hand as if chasing a fly. "But I'll take the compliment nowadays. So, do we get this game started?"

* * *

"Call" I said with a smirk, laying down my cards.

"R-Royal Straight Flush…" the three men uttered, striping down to their underwear.

"Hey, Kiddo, you too!" I called to Allen.

"Ary, we're supposed to team up to get Krory's things back!" he whined.

"I don't care! I win it, I keep it!" I retorted, pulling my tongue at him.

The three man started whispering between them, apparently not understanding how I did it, and Allen let out an annoyed sight before handing me Timcanpy.

The Golem rubbed itself against my cheek, making me smile.

"Tenshi, I think that's enough now" called Lavi. "You won each and every game, and it'll be our stop soon"

"But I'm having so much fun!" I protested.

"Ary, even cheating, we can't win against you" huffed Allen, staring at his cards in an annoyed fashion. "Never managed too, and probably never will"

"In a way, it's a good thing, isn't it?" I remarked, scratching my head.

"What do you mean?" asked the one with the glasses, curious.

"There's this weird deal with her and cards games. She never loose a game, but when she _does…_ " Allen shuddered, unable to finish his sentence.

"Something bad happens" ended Lavi. "Last time, she lost ten times in a row and there was a… hum, massacre, in the town near our home. The time before, the city was overflowed and dozens of people found themselves without a roof for weeks. And the time before that…"

"Okay, I think they get it" I cut. "Plus, it's not like I can tell what'll happen anyway. We just know it's something bad, depending on how many matches I loose in a row. Nothing big"

The three nodded, apparently stunned, and I snickered at their faces.

 **"** **Kirilenko Mines"**

"That'll be us, then" remarked the one with long hair.

They gathered the cards as the train stopped, then stepped outside, still with nothing on the back. I shook my head, and peered outside the window.

"Hey, misters!" I called, gaining their attention.

I throw their belongings to them, which they caught.

"You forgot these" I smiled.

"We haven't sunk so low as to be pitied by you" called back the bespectacled one.

"I only wanted to get Buffy's things back" I shrugged, not really caring. "And have some fun while I was at it. Don't make a big deal out of it"

They quickly changed back, and the one with the hat chuckled a little.

"To be honest, we were kind of worried seeing as we were going to work outside today" he admitted sheepishly.

"Lesson learned: don't underestimate a woman" I grinned.

He grinned back, and the kid approached, extending his clenched fist. I bumped mine with his, and the leader laughed.

"No, Eeez, that's your treasure" he shook his head and the boy retreated his still clenched fist.

The train started moving again as he searched through his pockets, and he suddenly threw something at me. I caught it, and realized it was a deck of cards.

"Here! Now we're even!" he yelled as we went on our way.

"Sure thing! Good luck!" I waved until they were only black points in the away.

Someone tapped my shoulder, and I turned to see Allen.

"Can I have my things back too, now?"

"… no"

"W-what? Ary, come on! I can't go back to Headquarters like that!" he protested as Lavi laughed and Krory chuckled.

I thought for a moment.

"Okay. But I keep Timcanpy"

The little Golem settled more comfortably on my head as answer.

"See? He likes me more" I smirked.

"No he doesn't! Tim, come on here, buddy!"

The golden sphere didn't move, though, making Lavi's laugh double.

"Timcanpy!" whined Allen.

In the end, I handed back everything, but Timcanpy stayed with me for the rest of the trip, apparently a little mad his owner had wagered him in a poker game.

* * *

"Ahhh! Home sweet home!" I grinned when we reached the entrance of the Headquarters. "Hey, check the recruit so we can enter! I'm starving!"

"Scanning for intruders!" called the Guardian.

After a moment of tense silence, he started screaming.

"INTRUDER! ALLY OF THE EARL! INTRUDER!"

"Crap, he must have sensed the Akuma blood in him" remarked Lavi.

"Komui, just open the damn door before I kick it open myself!" I yelled at the camera, stomping my foot.

There was a buzz, then Komui's voice echoed.

 **"** **Sorry, sorry. We're opening now. I want all of you in my office A.S.A.P"**

The Guardian finally shut up, and we managed to enter. We quickly made our way Komui's office and gave a fast tour of the place to Krory while we were at it, before finally getting to our destination.

I froze before the door, remembering just what exactly was waiting for me on the other side.

"You know what, guys? I'm kind of tired, I think I'm just going to take a nice little nap and come b- L- LAVI! PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT! LAVI! _Repose moi maintenant ou je te jure que je vais te faire la peau, triple idiot!_ "

Up on his shoulder like a fricking potato bag, he opened the doors and walked in as I hit his back as hard as I could, in vain.

"Thanks for the massage, Tenshi!"

I could _hear_ his smug smirk. Then, I smirked myself.

"Innocence: Activate. Feathered Blades"

The wings now on my back turning to pure steel, he struggled a second to keep his balance before his legs gave up under the sudden weight. I sat on his stomach, decided not to move an inch, and he groaned in annoyance when he realized that he just couldn't move.

"Tenshiiiiii" he whined.

"That'll teach you to throw me on your shoulder like a fucking potato bag" I retorted, crossing my arms. "Say 'Uncle'"

"Never!"

I peered over his face, a Cheshire grin on my face.

"Saaaaaay it" I rolled my tongue.

For good measure, I started tickling his side. His eye widened in fright.

"Okay, okay, I give! Uncle! Uncle!" he exclaimed.

Laughing, I got off of him before helping him up.

"That was just mean" he huffed, a pout on his lips.

"Aw, is wittle Lavi pouting?" I mocked, my mouth in a heart shape.

He whacked the back of my head but, before I could answer, someone cleared their throat.

Suddenly remembering just exactly _where_ we were, I turned to Komui with a sheepish grin.

"Hey, Boss" I greeted. "Fancy seeing you here. So… how's life going?"

"Good, good" he nodded, placing his hands under his chin. "Everything perfect, really, except for this one tiny little detail about an Exorcist who just doesn't know how to obey straight orders, disappearing for days without giving any sign of life and getting captured after especially being told to not engage the target… you know, that sort of things"

"Well, ain't that interesting" I smiled shakily. "You know, I thing she's still missing. How about I go search for her? I'll take my leave immedia- HOLY SHIT!"

I barely avoided the coffee mug flying my way.

"YOU DISAPEAR FOR FOUR DAYS AND WENT SILENCE RADIO ALL ALONG, GETTING CAPTURED BY THE TARGET WHEN SPECIFICALLY TOLD NOT TO ENGAGE WITH HIM OR HAVE ANY SORT OF CONTACT WITH HIM!"

"IT WASN'T MY FAULT! HE ATTACKED ME FIRST, I WASN'T EVEN AT THE CASTLE YET! AND DAMN IT, STOP THROWING MUGS AT ME!"

"THAN STOP BEEING SO DAMN RECKLESS EVERY TIME YOU GET A SOLO MISSION! IT ALWAYS TURNS OUT LIKE THIS, WHY CAN'T YOU LEARN?"

"IT'S NOT AS IF I COULD CONTROL ALL THE FUCKING DRAMA! How's Lenalee, by the way?"

"Oh, she woke up two days ago AND DON'T YOU TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT! YOU ARE GROUNDED!"

"YOU CAN'T GROUND ME, I'M SEVENTEEN, YOU CRAZY SISTER-COMPLEXED MORON!"

"I'M STILL YOUR BOSS! NO MISSION FOR TWO WEEKS!"

Unable to answer that, I simply stomped my foot on the paper-covered floor as silence etched in the office.

Then, Komui's stern face broke into a smile.

"Welcome home, Ary!"

"Glad to be back" I grinned back. "So, about these two weeks…"

"Make it one, but you're not allowed to leave the Headquarters"

I rolled my eyes at that. Trust Komui to act like an overprotective older brother even with me. There was a moment of silence again.

"Uh… what was that?" blinked Allen.

"The usual" shrugged Lavi.

"It was… quite intense" whispered Krory, wide eyes.

"Komui got this sister-complex with Ary too, just… not exactly the same as Lenalee's" cringed the redhead.

"I'll go see her now, I'll give my report later, okay? See you guys later!"

Waving, I then left the office, laughing when all the scientists sighed as one.

Yeah, it was good to be back.

* * *

 **So, some clarification for Ary's "ability". It's more for fun than anything else, really. They can't predict what, when, where and who with it, just the scale depending on how much games she lost. So, just for FUN. She can't see the future, and she never will be able too, I can assure that.**

 **French traduction: "Sicker, giving me a heart attack like that..."**

 **French traduction: "Bunch of fuckers! Just you wait, I'm going to skin you, decorebrate molluscs-"**

 **French traduction: "Put me down _right now_ or I swear I'm going to rip your limbs apart, triple idiot!"**

 **Question: So, anyone can guess where the nickname 'Buffy' comes from?**

 **Reviews, please, please, please, please, please!**


	7. War

**I just read the manga chapters after the Hallow episodes, and WTF? I love it, really, but it seriously fucked up my plans.**

 **Anyway.**

 **Answer: Even though no one answered -like all the others- the nickname 'Buffy' was chosen for the irony of it all due to the TV Show 'Buffy: Vampire Slayer'**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Jumper!"

"Ary!"

I hugged her before she could move, then pulled away.

"Don't scare me like that! Going unconscious for so long, what were you thinking?"

"Sorry, forgot to warn you about my subscription for the Instant Black Out Club" she rolled her eyes.

"You're not allowed to join, I'm the only one who is" I shook my head.

"Of course"

We stared at each other for a moment, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"It's good to have you back" I finally said.

"Did nii-san gave you an earful for going MIA?" she asked.

We started walking towards the cafeteria.

"Yeah, but I managed to get out with only a week of forced-resting" I answered. "Now come on, I'm starving!"

She simply laughed again, but followed anyway.

* * *

A day later, Allen and Lenalee got sent away on a mission, leaving me alone at the Headquarters with Krory, Lavi and Bookman. We were in the training grounds now, trying to get our new friend to control his abilities.

"Controlling your Innocence is good" I nodded. "But knowing how to actually use it in battle is better. If you don't know how to fight, than you're as good as dead because trust me, just swinging your Innocence around is no way to win against these monsters"

"However, you actually gain your abilities from demon blood, so you'll have to be fast enough to get on one, drain it, and escape their attacks while you're at it" added Lavi.

"Which is why you're going to learn how to dodge first" I activated _Angel_. "Try not to get caught by my blades. They hurt like a bitch"

"W…"

"Feathered Blades!"

He jumped away, but one managed to scratch his shoulder, earning a hiss.

"Too slow" I grinned.

That was going to be fun.

* * *

Lavi, Bookman and Krory had left two days later for Buffy's first mission, and I still had four days before being allowed on missions again.

Which were a lot for someone who just had to go outside.

"Ugh, I can't stand this!" I finally yelled, getting off my bed.

I ran to Komui's office, and slammed the doors open. Everyone stared as I made my way to the Boss, and I slammed my hands on the desk.

"Give me a mission!" I asked.

There was a moment of silent, until Reever chuckled.

"You own me ten bucks, Supe" he said.

"Yeah, yeah" groaned Komui. "Honestly, Ary, I'm surprised. I thought you'd last less than three days"

"I don't care! Please, I have to…"

 **"** **Urgent report from the Emergency Unit! We found Kevin Marshall. He's… not well. We're bringing him back to the Headquarters right now"**

I stared at the Golem for a moment, surprised, then turned to Komui.

"What happened to General Yeegar?" I frowned, worried.

He sighed.

"He was attacked sooner. We believe it is the Noah Clan" he admitted. "Until we have more information, you won't go on solo missions. It's too dangerous. Lenalee and Allen are coming back with the Emergency Unit, we'll wait for them and see what to do after that"

I nodded stiffly, and left the office, deep in thoughts. Kevin Yeegar was a nice man, and was my favorite Marshall along with Tiedoll. He was kind, and strong too. Him being attacked, and actually taken down so easily… the powers of the Noah Clan were more frightening than I thought they'd be.

Too troubled to think about missions anymore, I went back to the meditation room to clear my thoughts before their arrival, dread already settling in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to believe he'd be alright, I really wanted too.

The bad feeling growing in my heart told me otherwise, though.

* * *

I pushed the door open, and saw Allen and Lenalee along with Komui and a few scientists around a mummified General. I clenched my fist around my necklace, but didn't say a thing. I had already prepared for the worst.

"He's just a shell" finally said Komui. "His mind has been destroyed. So has been all the Innocence he had on him"

The shell's lips moved, and I listened closely.

 _"_ _The Thousand Year Duke is looking… He's looking for the great Heart… I didn't have it… who will be next?"_

"The Heart?" I repeated quietly.

"It's the legendary piece of Innocence, the strongest of them all" answered Komui. "Destroying it would destroy all other Innocence, which is why the Earl is searching for it. We've been searching for years, too, in vain"

"Him attacking directly a Marshall like that… it means war" remarked Reever darkly.

"It's already war, Reese" I snapped his way coldly. "This only means that the Earl is stepping up his game, and we'll have to do the same if we want to keep up and win"

"The other Generals will most probably be targeted" sighed Komui.

He thought for a moment.

"No Exorcist will take solo missions anymore" he suddenly announced. "The Marshalls are to be protected. Lenalee, Allen, Aryane, you three are to find Cross Marian and bring him back here as fast as you can for his protection"

"He wouldn't die even if we killed him" I pointed out in a flat tone.

"This is your new mission" retorted Komui seriously. "This mission is your top priority. You are to leave immediately to find him as fast as you can"

"Hai!" we saluted, serious for once, then left the room.

Lenalee placed an hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ary. I know what the General meant to you, but when we got there…"

"It's okay, Jumper" I shook my head. "We are Exorcists. We know the risks of the job. You don't have to blame yourself for him. He wouldn't have wanted that"

"Okay" she bit her lower lip.

A little annoyed a their dark faces, I whacked the back of both of their heads, earning annoyed cries.

"Stop sulking" I scolded. "He's dead, we can't do a thing about it, okay? Next time, we simply won't miss. Sulking on the past will only hold you back, and if we are to chase after the filthy womanizer, than we can't afford to loose our head over something we were powerless about, got it?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" they nodded.

"Good. Now go pack as light as you can, but take anything necessary. We'll probably be gone for a while" I ordered.

"But didn't you meet him when you were in the village?" asked Allen.

"Yeah, but he left the day after and… crap! I forgot! Go on, I'll catch up!"

Not waiting for them to reply, I ran to my room before looking in the pockets of my coat. After a few minutes, I finally found the paper Cross had given me days ago, and ran back to the room where Komui was still examining the General.

"Komui!" I called, waving the paper. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot about this! The Marshall told me to give it to you"

He took it and read what was written. He frowned a little, but said nothing about it.

"Okay. Thanks, Ary. And about your mission…"

"I'll watch over Lenalee and Allen, don't worry about it" I winked his way.

"Watch over yourself too" he retorted. "I don't want you coming back as a corpse, Ary. I'm serious"

"Stop acting like a mother hen, you won't get rid of me that easily" I assured. "See you all later"

I waved, then walked away and went back to my room. Packing everything in a flash, I finally joined my two companions at the secret deck.

"Ready to go find an idiot?" I asked.

"I can't wait" drawled Allen, depressed.

"Is he that bad?" asked Lenalee, worried.

We simply shuddered as the boat slid silently on the dark water.

* * *

Now on a boat in direction of what we hoped was the Marshall's location, I closed my eyes as I felt the wind gently unfold my hair. Lenalee and Allen were inside, the later telling about his three years of apprenticeship with the stupid womanizer, but I didn't feel like staying in place. I had the feeling something was going to happen, something _big._ I just couldn't tell what.

After a few more minutes of playing with my necklace, I've had enough and went back to the cabin I shared with the other girl. There, I sat on my bed before activating my Golem. After a few seconds of buzzing, a familiar voice echoed on the other side.

 **"** **Who's it?"**

"No need to be so rude, Summan" I smiled a little.

 **"** **Ary? Glad to hear from you. Are you okay?"**

I shrugged.

"Just a bad feeling, that's all. We're going after Cross. You heard about Yeegar-sensei?"

 **"** **Yeah. We know who did this?"**

"People from the Noah Clan. I'm not sure about what they are either, but they're crazy strong" I frowned. "Don't act reckless if you face one, okay?"

 **"** **Please, I'm one of the strongest Exorcist"** he scoffed.

I rolled my eyes at that.

"The one with the biggest ego too" I retorted. "Care about a chess game?"

 **"** **I guess I have some time to spare. Prepare to go down"**

"Big words, Old Man" I mocked, taking out my chessboard from under the bed. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you"

 **"** **As if. You want to start?"**

"Age before beauty" I smirked.

He groaned in annoyance, making me laugh.

 **"** **Fine, fine. Pawn: B, 4"**

"Pawn: D, 4"

 **"** **Pawn: C, 3"**

"Bishop…"

* * *

 **"** **Checkmate"**

"Damn it" I grunted. "You just have to show off, don't you. Where did you learn that move anyway?"

 **"** **Johnny taught me. I have to go now, though. You'll be alright?"**

"Don't worry about me too much, your old heart won't be able to take it" I teased, smiling a little.

 **"** **We're talking about the womanizer here, of course I'd worry about you. Hell, I'd worry about any woman in his vicinity"**

"True, true. But he knows what'll happen if he tries anything funny. Thanks for the game, Old Man. It eased my mind"

 **"** **Glad I could help. Contact if you need anything else, okay?"**

"Sure thing, Old Man. Don't die"

 **"** **You too"**

And with that, we cut the connection. Sighing happily, I put away the chess game and laid on my bed. Summan was, to put it simply, an arrogant asshole. Or, that's what everyone thought when they met him for the first time.

He never wanted to be an Exorcist. He had a wife and a daughter, and a happy life, before he became an Accommodator. He's not allowed to see his family, forced to risk his life each and every day for a cause he despises. And me? Well, I couldn't really blame him.

When we first met, I was twelve. Apparently, I looked a lot like his daughter and with time, he just kind of became my surrogate father. So, when I had these moments, we just played chess to get our mind of of our troubles and forget for some time. It worked, and we were both happy about our weird relationship.

"You played chess with Summan?"

I opened an eye to greet Lenalee, who entered the room with a smile.

"I'll never understand how you can stand each other" she shook her head. "But it's nice to know that Summan isn't always a jerk"

"Now, now, don't be jealous, Jumper" I teased. "You have your big brother with a sister complex and I have a surrogate father with an ego complex. I don't think you'd want both"

She chuckled, and sat on her own bed.

"Who won?"

"He did" I grunted. "What did you think of Allen's backstory?"

"It's horrible" she shuddered. "What he had to go through… I understand better why you took pity on him that day"

"No matter what I say or do, or how much I want do deny it, Cross is a good teacher, and a good man when he wants to be" I admitted. "Allen wouldn't have grown as strong with someone else, and the Marshall is doing his part in this war, even if his methods aren't always approved"

"Tell me about it" she scoffed. "Nii-san is always complaining about how much gray hair the man's giving him"

"Yeah" I chuckled. "He's still a stupid womanizer and a pervert, though"

I still had that weird feeling, and I could tell from my friend's shifting gaze that she thought the same. However, none of us brought it up, simply chatting the time away on pointless little things.

Things were starting to move faster. The Earl was making his move. We're in a war to save humanity. Who knew when we'd have the chance to talk so freely again?

* * *

 **So, for anyone who asks: the paper is not important. It's just him informing about the mission in better details or whatever.**

 **Question: What do you think about Aryane so far?**

 **Reviews, pretty please with a poisonned c- I mean, sugared cherry on top?**


	8. Mother

**I've just discovered another fic, really awesome named 'I Dreamn In Blood' and I couldn't help but realize how alike Aryane and the other main character were. I seriously apologize for that, I didn't copy or anything -I found it two days ago- and I don't want anyone misunderstanding the situation, seeing as that amazing author post her story before I posted mine.**

 **Just saying.**

 **Answer: Well, depends on who reads, really. And who leaves reviews. And who actually cares about this story. There aren't a lot, apparently.**

 **But Hell. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I can't believe I hadn't thought of that before" I shook my head.

"You know who we're going too?" asked Lenalee, curious.

"It's Allen who presented us, actually" I smiled a little. "You remember that time around two years ago? When I kept going on mission without a break?"

"It was the first time you lost so much of your team" she remembered, frowning a little. "You didn't talk, simply taking mission after mission. You had us really worried"

"Yeah, that" I darkened a little at the memory. "I crossed paths with Allen again around that time, and was injured. Him and Cross brought me to Mother so that she could treat me and she's the one who knocked some sense into me"

"Literally" Allen piped in. "There's still a dent in the wall, if I remember correctly"

Lenalee paled a little at that, making me laugh.

"She's an amazing woman, though. Gives really good advices" I assured, massaging my jaw at the memory. "And right hooks too"

As we walked down the hill, a black carriage made it's way through the cemetery.

"Akumas!" exclaimed Allen, his eye activated.

The woman changed at that time and, suddenly, a lot more surrounded us.

"Innocence: Activate!" we yelled in one voice. "Destroy them. I'll protect the civilians!"

"Roger that!"

We split, and I went as fast as I could before grabbing a man and dropping him a few meters away, behind the trees.

"Go back to the village" I ordered at the frightened guy.

"T-thank you!"

"Just doing my job" I waved it off, running back in the field.

As the Akumas kept shooting, Allen and Lenalee trying to get it to back away from the villagers, I made sure they could escape through the forest. There was a sudden explosion, signaling the end of the madness, and I deactivated _Angel_ before joining the others.

"That was weird" I remarked.

"Yeah" nodded Allen. "We'll have to ask Mother about that. I hope they weren't after her!"

"Why would they be?" frowned Jumper.

"Mother is a friend of the Order" he answered.

"Let's get going, then. I'm sure she's fine, and all this fighting got me hungry" I beamed at them.

"You didn't fight" Lenalee deadpanned.

"Details. Now, let's go!"

They rolled their eyes, but followed anyway.

* * *

"Allen-kun! Ary-chan!"

"Barba!" exclaimed Allen.

I jumped in the man's arms and hugged as hard as I could, making him laugh and swing me around.

"It's been a while!" I grinned.

"Yes, yes, it is! You came to see Mother? Come on, she'll be so glad to see you two! Oh, and a friend?"

"That's Lenalee" presented Allen. "It's good to see you too, Barba"

"Let's go inside!"

So we did. We entered the little church and came into the kitchen, where Mother was sitting at the table. Unable to stop myself, I stepped in first.

"Oi, still haven't kicked the bucket, hold hag?" I exclaimed.

"YOU WANNA DIE, BRAT?"

"BRING IT ON, HAG!"

We wrestled a little, and I wondered once again how a bag of bones like her could be so strong. After a minute, I hugged her, laughing and a little out of breath.

"It's good to see you"

"Missed you too" she patted my head. "Oh? Is that Allen-kun?"

"Hello, Mother" he greeted more formally. "And this is Lenalee, by the way"

"Pleasure to meet you. Please, take a seat"

Barba went back to his garden, leaving us with Mother, and she took a smoke.

"I see you're wearing a coat of the Order now" remarked Mother to Allen.

"I joined half a year ago" he answered.

That made my eyebrow rise.

"Uh? Six months already?" I asked at Lenalee.

"You never did kept up with the time" she smiled a little.

"I see, so my bean sprout is finally growing up, and the brat hasn't changed…" Mother smiled too.

"Eh? Bean sprout?" blinked Allen.

"Stop calling me a brat, hag" I called.

"Stop calling me a hag, brat" she retorted, taking another smoke.

"It's not just Kanda though" laughed Lenalee. "Everyone is calling you bean sprout, Allen"

"Because he is" I smirked.

"I'm still taller!"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

"Allen-kun, Ary-chan! I made lots of stew for you and your friend!" called Barba, entering the room.

"Bless your soul" I inhaled the cauldron he placed on the table.

My blissful sigh made them laugh once again as I quickly served everyone.

* * *

"General Yeegar?"

"Yes, and in order to protect the remaining Marshalls, we were divided into different groups to fetch them and bring them back to Headquarters" answered Lenalee.

"We're after Master right now, but we don't really know where he went" added Allen.

"We thought you might had an idea about his current location" I concluded, finishing my seventh bowl of stew.

"And why would I know that?" Mother retorted, lifting an eyebrow.

"Eh? Well, you were Master's sponsor so…" trailed off the whitehead.

"I don't give a crap about a man who leaves naught but debt in his wake" Mother sneered, lifting her chin.

"I think I lost my appetite" winced Allen.

"Me too" I pushed away the now empty bowl.

"That's okay, you ate plenty!" smiled Barba.

"Ma'am, on our way here, we encountered a bunch of Akumas" suddenly said Lenalee. "We thought that they came for you but…"

"There was no demon around" Mother shook her head.

"Then why are there so many in town?" I frowned.

"Have you heard anything about Innocence or an unusual phenomena?"

"Not at all" Mother took a smoke. "What I do know, though, is that the number of Akumas around increased over the last six months"

I exchanged a worried look with the others at that.

"Something is going on" pursued Mother. "Somewhere in this town, there's…"

She paused, looking outside, then turned to us.

"Would you mind moving to the other room for a moment?" she asked.

At the same time, someone knocked at the door.

"A guest?" asked Lenalee.

"At this hour?" added Allen.

I sighed. Things were just getting more and more weird around here.

* * *

I thought about what happened sooner, playing with my necklace. Sooner that day, we had seen the hospital, which was a new thing. And then, we hear about it again when the woman came in crying about the love of her life dying there.

Lenalee had remarked that such grief would interest the Earl, which made my mind swirl. The hospital was the easiest place to gain souls, the number of Akumas in the area increasing in the past six months, said hospital appearing around the same time… and seriously, what doctor would push his nurse into an impossible love knowing the man would die anyway?

Something weird was going on there. Really weird. And, what better way to find out what than investigating from the inside?

It was decided: tomorrow, I'd get a one way trip to the suspicious hospital and hope not to die once there.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" asked Lenalee as we walked down the street.

"One hundred sure" I assured. "Plus, I'll heal quickly anyway, so no real danger"

"But even then…" she trailed off.

"Jumper, something's off about this hospital. Plus, you saw it sooner, didn't you? The nurse turned into an Akuma, just after her husband died! It can't be mere coincidence"

The second day was slowly ending, and the morning had been… eventful. The cobbler who had greeted us on the first day had an accident and died in the hospital, where his wife later turned into a demon.

"Don't injure yourself too much" sighed Allen, giving up.

"Hey, I'm not a masochist either, Kiddo" I frowned.

"Kind of hard to believe…" muttered Lenalee.

I swatted her arm, before grinning at them, walking away.

"Don't sorry too much, or you'll get wrinkles before a-"

My voice caught in my throat as pain flared in my back as I was sent rolling on the pavement. Screams echoed all around and I smiled one last time at my friends.

Nope. Absolutely not a masochist.

* * *

When I woke up, I was in an hospital bed. The doctor next me beamed at me.

"You had luck, young lady! Being run over by a cart like that and walk away without even a broken bone… you truly have amazing recovering abilities!"

"Ah ah, yeah, I've always healed fast…" I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head as I sat up. "Where am I?"

"The hospital" he hummed. "Your friends brought you here before leaving"

"How long was I out for?" I frowned a little.

"Merely an hour, which is simply astounding, by the way, and…"

As he chatted aimlessly, I looked down at my body. The scratches were already healed, and my back was simply sore from the hit. Another hour at most and I'd be fit as a fiddle again.

"Anyway, take this. It'll help numbing the pain" the doctor handed me a glass.

Without really thinking, I drank it all, and coughed at the bitter taste.

"The nastier the better they say, uh?" he kept on smiling.

"If it's true, then I'm probably immortal by now" I choked, giving back the glass.

"Rest well for today, and I'll send some more painkillers later" he answered, before walking out.

"Thank you!"

He closed the door behind him, and I stretched.

Suddenly, my heart started beating faster and bile rose in my throat. Next thing I knew, I was throwing up all the contents of my stomach in the bucket next to my bed. It took me a few minutes before finally managing to stop and breath again.

"What… the hell…" I coughed.

I threw up a few more times, before finally being sure that I was definitely cleared.

"That was weird" I scrunched my nose at the nasty smell. "The last time I reacted like that was when I ingested wolf's bane… by… accident…"

My eyes narrowed slightly, and despite my disgust, I sniffed the contents of the bucket.

Again, I felt sick, but not for the same reason.

Why the hell was there poison in the bucket?

* * *

I passed the next hour finishing healing my wounds while thinking about it. Because of _Angel_ , I always healed faster, but it also meant that I was unaffected by poisons, seeing as my body kept rejecting it before it could take effect.

That meant that there was poison in the 'painkillers' the doctor gave me, and he knew it. It was then easy to understand that I most certainly wasn't the first to be subjected to this infamy, and the only explanation I could find for this behavior was that he was a Braker.

I had to warn the others, and fast. As I put on my clothes, the door swung open, revealing Lenalee in a nurse uniform.

"Ary…"

"The doctor is a Braker" I cut, zipping my uniform. "He gives poison to the patients. It kills them slowly and gives enough time for a nurse to get attached, which love would then turn to grief, and therefore easy souls for the Earl"

She paled at that.

"He poisoned you?"

" _Angel_ protected me" I assured. "I'm fine, don't worry, but we have to find him _now_ "

"Get back here, impostor!" exclaimed a voice in the hall.

"Any chance he isn't after you?" I asked as we ran in the hallway.

"Kind of a long story" she cringed. "Do you know where he went?"

"I guess he'd be with Riza right now, but I don't know where" I shook my head.

We took a turn, nearly running into Allen.

"Kiddo, where's Riza?" I asked urgently.

"W-with the doctor, w-"

"The doctor's a Broker, lead the way!" ordered Lenalee.

Snapping back from his surprise, he ran ahead, leading us to an empty hallway and before a locked door. The voices of the young woman and the Broker could be heard on the other side.

"Riza-san!" called Allen, knocking. "Riza-san!"

Suddenly, Akumas appeared at each end of the hallway. Activating my Innocence, I used my blades to destroy two of them. Using _Dark Boots_ , Lenalee destroyed three of them before sending the last one through the wall. Piercing through it with his arm, Allen destroyed it, revealing a cowering doctor on the floor, and unconscious Riza not a meter away.

"W-who are you?" he asked.

"We are Exorcists. We destroy Akumas to save their souls, and are enemies of the Earl" announced Allen.

"We destroyed all the Akumas in the vicinity" added Lenalee.

"Your business ends here, Broker" I sneered, clenching my fist.

Before we could do anything else, though, he pulled a gun at us, making us froze.

"Why did you do it?" asked however Allen. "You're human too, aren't you? So why?"

"Why? Making an hospital that big isn't cheap, kid!"

He opened a safe, pulling out money.

"I made this town a better place-"

"Shut up!"

"Holy shit!"

I jumped away a bit when Mother appeared by my side.

"Mother?"

Ignoring us, she walked straight to the Braker… and punched him.

Hard.

I wince, but didn't feel any sympathy for the guy. He deserved it.

"We were worried about you" said Barba, arriving behind us. "So I had Mother come on out. She's so strong! I knew she could deal with whatever came up"

"She's stronger than she was three years ago" sweatdropped Allen.

"No kidding" I gulped.

"She got him with a single blow" said Lenalee, slightly in awe.

"It's still not enough" replied Mother. "He has to pay for all his sins. We have to show him what a huge mistake he made"

She then turned to us, rather serious.

"You three would do well to remember that the Earl does not only create Akumas, but also preys on men's greed and weakness to turn them to his side"

"Right" we said in one voice.

Barba lifted a still knocked out Riza.

"It is a tough fight, but you also have to remember those like Riza, who stay strong through even the greatest pain" she added.

"Quite deep words for an old hag" I smirked slightly.

For only answer, she hit me roughly on the head with her cane.

"Brat"

* * *

I sipped on my hot chocolate as Mother finished cooking her stew.

"You didn't went to the cemetery" she remarked casually. "I would have thought you'd go with the others"

"I don't like cemeteries" I shrugged, fingering my necklace. "Too much people are so easily forgotten… not all of them get a grave"

She smiled a little, sitting in front of me.

"You really haven't changed" she said, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?"

"You still play with your necklace whenever you feel sad, annoyed or anxious" she simply answered.

I blinked, and realized that she was right.

"It comforts me" I finally admitted. "That way, I still have a part of my father with me, you know?"

"The silver button above the heart, isn't it?" she pursued.

I hummed, my thumb mindlessly retracing the letters forming his name on the back.

"He was a great man" I said quietly.

"I don't doubt it" she assured. "What about the…"

The door then opened, letting enter Allen, Barba and Lenalee.

"Riza-san seems fine, now" the white haired boy said, sitting down. "She's stronger than she looks"

"Barba said you had a letter for me, right?" asked Lenalee, sitting next to me.

"Oh, right. Give me a moment"

Mother went into the next room, before coming back and handing her said letter. Lenalee quickly read over it's contents.

"It's from nii-san" she said. "He… wants me to go back to Headquarters. Seems suspicious" she drawled.

"Did he say anything about us?" I asked, curious.

"Do you think we should head back together?" asked my friends.

"But we still need to find Master" Allen pointed out.

"These are for you, by the way" Mother piped in and placed a pile of letters in his hands.

"All these… for me?" he blinked.

He read a few, frowning more each time.

"They're all from Master!"

"If you follow his paper trail, you should be able to find him, right?" smiled Mother.

"It's better than run around like headless chickens" I shrugged, stretching a little. "Seeing as Komui didn't mention us, Allen and I will keep up the search for the womanizer. You go back and see what he wants, okay?"

"It's better be important" she sighed.

"Do you mind if we pass the night?" asked Allen to Mother.

"Of course not. You better be gone when the sun rises, though. I ain't keeping you for dinner!"

"Cheap old hag" I grumbled.

She hit me with her cane again, making the others laugh.

* * *

 **So, Aryane is kind of like a little spitfire, and I try to make her different relationnships with all the characters as close to her personality as I can. Hope I'm doing a good job.**

 **Question: I don't have any for now. Toddles!**


	9. Join the Pirates PART 1

**And I'm back with the ninth chapter! A special thanks to Chimera-Dragon for your review and also for reassuring me about the similarities apparently not as existent as I was afraid they were.**

 **Answer: No question, no answer, so there.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Eh? The ferry's not coming today?"

"Yeah, they're running the other day now. The next one leaves tomorrow"

"I thought they ran every day!"

"They don't have enough ships to keep that up" the man shook his head. "Several of them have sunk in the seas around here"

"Sunk?" I asked, surprised.

"Accidents?" asked Allen.

"The pirates did it!"

Allen, the man and I turned to the voice in one movement, only to see a bunch of kids. It was the one in the middle who had talked.

"The pirates are sinking the ships!" he repeated.

"Pirates?" I repeated, tilting my head in wonder.

"You again?! Those lies are going to earn you a beating, one day!" exclaimed the man.

"It's true! The pirates did this!" assured the kid.

"That bollocks again ?!"

The man grabbed his broom and started running after them, and they ran away.

He came back to us, apparently annoyed.

"Those damn brats are always spouting that tripe" he grunted.

"Then it was an accident?" asked Allen.

"Yeah. There's a reef out there, you see. Great hulking rocks stuck out of the sea, just waiting to punch a hole into something. They probably just drifted into it at night. There were no survivors, though. But kids these days, I swear" he huffed.

"Are there any other departing ships today?" asked Allen again.

"Sorry, tomorrow's morning is the first one" the man shook his head.

"Guess we'll have to wait to tomorrow, then" I remarked.

I took a silver coin in my pocket and tossed it at the man, who caught it with a surprised look.

"Thank you for the help, sir. Have a nice day" I nodded my head, before pulling the boy behind me.

"Why do you keep paying the people who helps us?" Allen asked as we walked away.

"Because honest help isn't enough appreciated" I simply shrugged. "Let's go find an inn to stay the night"

"I think I saw one while coming here"

"Then let's go, I'm starting to get hungry"

"Yeah, me too"

* * *

"Yeah, we've got a room open" nodded the man, preparing some meat. "Do you mind sharing? The others are kind of filthy…"

"We don't mind" I assured with a smile.

"Good. We're both a restaurant and a lodge, so I'll cut you two a deal on some grub"

"Thank you very much" Allen nodded.

"Second floor's the lodge. The room is the one in the back, with a blue door. You can't miss it" added the nice man.

The door suddenly creaked open, and I lifted an eyebrow when I saw the kids from sooner entering the place, sneaking towards the apple bowl on the counter. However, before the little leader could grab anything, he was hit behind the head by the stove of the innkeeper.

"Itai! That hurt, old man!" he yelled, turning to him.

"Don't lay a finger on my food!" retorted the man.

"We pirates plunder at our discretion!" replied the kid.

"Pirates? Stop spouting nonsense, you stupid brat" the eldest crossed his arms.

"I don't want to hear it from a lubberly sailor" scoffed the boy.

He then kicked him in the leg, before going to grab an apple, but was hit again by the stove. The bunch of kids then ran outside, and the innkeeper sighed.

"Those brats" he muttered.

"If you don't mind me asking… who are they?" asked Allen, curious.

"Well, the cheeky ringleader's my son" the man scratched the back of his head. "He's in that rebellious phase, wanting to be a pirate to spite his old man"

Allen sweatdropped at that, and I chuckled a little.

"We'll go check our room. Thank you again!" I called, going upstairs.

As we went to said room, I couldn't help but feel like we would see more of these kids sooner than we thought.

* * *

"300… 301… 302… 303…" recited Allen.

The boy was now doing his usual one-arm-push-up while I read a book I picked up on the room's shelves. From the corner of my eye, I kept watch on the kids from sooner, who were whispering among themselves rather suspiciously.

In the end, my curious nature getting the best of me, I sneaked up in a tree to listen to them.

"… we need new members. They can't be too young, because we'll end up looking after them" said the one with a fringe.

"And they can't be too old either, because they won't believe us" added the bigger one.

"They have to be strong too, or they won't be worth it" remarked the bespectacled one.

"And we pirates should all be guys too" affirmed the one with the weird hat.

I scowled a little childishly at that. Girls could _so_ be pirates too!

"Is there anyone like that, though?" asked the leader.

"I'd say Allen there is a pretty good candidate but, then again, it's just me who's saying" I called up from my perch.

They jumped out of their skin when they looked up at me, making me laugh. I then jumped on the ground to face them.

"The hell do you want, hag?" sneered the leader.

"Just some fun" I shrugged, biting back the burning insult on my tongue. "I'm bored. Can I join you?"

"Nu-uh. You're a girl" Hat-Boy shook his head.

"No shit" I deadpanned. "But, as I said sooner, my friend there would be a good candidate if you really want a new member"

"Well, he isn't too young" remarked Fringe-boy.

"He isn't too old either" nodded Big-boy.

"He's fifteen" I informed casually.

"He seems strong too" said Glasses-Boy.

"That he is" I grinned a little.

"And he's a boy!" concluded Hat-Boy.

"Yes, he is too. But I'm still not cool with that one" I pointed out.

"How're we gonna get him to join, though?" the boys ignored me.

"Hostages" I proposed, looking at the sky when a bird flew by.

What I'd give to fly a little too! We hadn't fight in a while, and I kind of missed the rush of adrenaline procured by _Angel_.

There was a moment of silence, and I looked at the boys again, who were now watching me with surprise looks.

"Hostages? What do you mean, lady?"

Internally dancing in victory at the upgrade of my name (hag to lady, what an honor), I sat crossed-leg on the ground before grinning at them.

"I ain't a lady, boys. You can call me Ary. And when I talk about hostages, I'm saying that you get the little golden ball flying next to him and use it to force him to join. Easy-peasy, really"

"Why'd you help anyway?" frowned Glasses-Boy.

"I told you, I want to have some fun" I shrugged. "His name is Allen, by the way"

They concerted for a moment.

"I guess we can try it" finally conceded the little Leader. "But…"

Suddenly, something wrapped around me, pinning my arms along my torso. I blinked at the cord now trapping me, then looked back at the boys.

"You're an hostage too now!"

"… okay, sure. But grab Timcanpy too, just to be sure"

They seem to struggle to accept the fact that I just accepted to become an hostage, before the leader shook his head and sent Fringe-Boy get Timcanpy.

Allen, to occupied by his push-ups, didn't noticed before it was too late. The boy came back to us with the Golem, and I snickered a little when the white haired teen got up, confused.

"Tim?" he called. "Ary?"

"Over here!" called the little Leader.

He then showed a tied up Timcanpy, and I tried to wave despite being tied up too.

"Eh? What are you up too?" asked Allen.

"Archie the Whirlpool!" presented suddenly little Leader.

"Bob the Hurricane!" pursued Fringe-Boy.

"Cheetah the Stomach!" continued Big-Boy.

"Dan the calculator!" added Glasses-Boy.

"And Eagle-eyes Eric!" concluded proudly Hat-Boy.

"Together, we're the Abochidae Pirate Corps!" the yelled in unison.

I snorted at the ridiculous name, but said nothing, and Allen sweatdrop heavily at that.

"The lady here says your name is Allen, right?" asked little Leader, or rather Archie.

"Err, yes, but…"

"Rejoice, Allen, for you have been given the opportunity to take our entry exam!"

Allen blinked, lost.

"Entry exam?" he repeated.

"If you complete the tests that we are about to administer, you'll be allowed to join our group!" pursued Archie, unfazed.

"Err… I'm sorry, but I'm awfully busy right now so I'm afraid I'll have to decline…"

"If you want to have this little guy and the lady back, you're gonna have to take the tests!" retorted Archie.

"That's… awfully clever…" cringed Allen.

"It was her idea" Bob pointed to me.

"Ary!" whined my friend.

"Hey, don't blame me. I'm a hostage" I shrugged, smirking a little.

He sighed and shook his head.

"Again, I'm sorry…"

He suddenly disappeared from sight.

"Eh? He vanished!"

And he reappeared behind us.

"But I don't have the patience for your little games right now. Can I have Timcanpy back now, please?"

"Hey, Kiddo, what about me?" I wailed as the boys jumped in fright.

"You got yourself in, you get yourself out" he deadpanned.

"How cruel" I let myself fall on the ground, falsely dying.

Archie paled, then Bob started running, and the little Leader threw Timcanpy at him.

"Got him!" yelled Fringe-Boy.

He accelerated the pace.

"I'm Bob the Hurricane! If you think you can catch up to me, you're dead wrong!"

"Will you give him back?" asked Allen, easily keeping up and scaring the poor kid.

"Gah! Cheetah, pass!"

Big-Boy caught it, and smirked as Allen ran to him.

"They call me Cheetah the Stomach! If you want the little guy back, you'll have to beat me in a eating contest!"

"Oi, what am I, a next-door neighbor?" I drawled.

Ignoring me, Allen sighed heavily before sitting at the table. As the kid ate as fast as he could, my teammate was already done with his plate.

"Can you give him back now?" Allen smiled at him.

"N-no way! Dan!"

Once again, as Allen ran to Glasses-Boy, I shook my head.

"He doesn't even realize he's passing your tests" I remarked to Archie.

"He won't be able to beat Dan anyway, he's…"

"WHAT? ALREADY?"

We turned back our attention to "The Calculator" and saw him throw Timcanpy to Eric.

"If you can beat me in a staring contest, I'll give it up" announced Hat-Boy.

"Okay"

Barely a second later, Eric busted out laughing and threw Timcanpy back to Archie.

Allen blinked as Archie pulled me up (more like he pulled on the cord and I got up).

"Follow us!"

* * *

We were now on the deck, facing Allen once again.

"You've done well to pass all of our tests" announced Archie.

"I had no intention to do so, though…"

"Moron" I snickered.

"But if you can't beat me, Archie the Whirlpool, you'll never be allowed into our group" pursued little Leader. "The first one to that rock and back wins"

The kid quickly pulled off some of his clothes and boots, before attaching Timcanpy to his belt.

"I can't believe you're making me do this…" muttered Allen to me as he pulled off his boots too.

"Hey, can't hurt to have a little fun, can it?" I lifted an eyebrow, amused at all the antics.

"I'll get you back for this" he promised darkly.

"I'm sure you will, but for now, seeing you compete with kids is worth it" I grinned.

"Start!" suddenly yelled Archie.

He jumped in the water, and Allen sighed once again.

"I played along this far…" he grunted, before jumping too.

Instantly, the kids started cheering their Leader as my friend easily caught up to him. Then, my smile slipped and I frowned when Archie suddenly stopped swimming.

"Something's wrong with Archie" I warned the others, getting up.

"Uh?"

Looking closer, I realized he must had a cramp and, a moment later, he sunk.

"ALLEN!" I yelled as loud as I could. "GET THE KID ASAP!"

Realizing what was happening, he didn't loose a second and plunged after the boy. After a few seconds of worry, they swung back up and Allen brought him back to the deck. Easily getting out of my bindings, I helped him get the kid back up.

"Archie!" cried his friends.

"I'm- I'm fine" he assured, looking somewhat down.

Allen and I exchanged a glance at his expression.

"I never thought Archie the Whirlpool would loose!" suddenly said Eric behind me.

"Yeah" the others nodded.

"Oh, no! Archie drowned on purpose!" instantly refuted Allen.

We all turned to look at him, and I couldn't help but smile as he explained everything that "really" happened. Trust him to save the day in more way than one, I suppose.

The kids cheered up at his explication when Archie went along with it, and I stretched a little, glad everything was okay again. The little Leader then gave back Timcanpy.

"You pass, and we accept your application" he announced proudly.

"Uh?"

"Hurray! A new member!"

"No, no, I didn't-"

"Now for the welcoming party!" exclaimed Bob.

"Yeah!"

As they cheered once again, Archie whispered something to Allen, who just seemed so jaded by everything I couldn't help but laugh at his expression. Suddenly, they seem to remember that I was there too.

"Oh, you can have the lady back too" blinked Archie.

"Right, err… thank you? Ary, you coming?"

"No" I crossed my arms. "I want to stay with them. They're more fun and they won't abandon me to pirates like _someone_ else"

"Ary, stop acting like a child, you're supposed to be older than me!" he whined.

"I am" I nodded proudly. "Doesn't mean I can't act like a kid when I want too"

"She's older?" asked Dan, apparently surprised. "But you're taller!"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

* * *

An hour later, we were eating with Archie and his dad. I ate with a big smile. It was good, really good, and the innkeeper was really nice.

"So, what do you think? Good, isn't it?" he asked with a smile.

"It's delicious!" I beamed at him.

"Delicious my ass" scoffed Archie. "He makes a bunch of stuff, but it all sucks!"

"What was that?"

"You're a sailor! You should just sail, damn it!" exclaimed the boy, getting up.

The man hit the table and got up up.

"Don't like it, don't eat it!"

"Then I'm done!"

And with that, he walked away. I looked down, somewhat shocked by the tense situation between father and son.

"He seems to like you two" said the innkeeper while sitting down. "Sorry if he bothers you"

"N-no, don't worry about it…" assured Allen.

"I suppose he inherited my boorishness, at least, dragging you in his stupid pirate game" he sighed. "If only his mother were alive, he'd be able to live a more normal life"

"You were a sailor then, Jed-san?" asked my friend.

The innkeeper brightened at that.

"Yeah! I went all around the world stalking my prey! It was wonderful, putting my life on the line for the next big catch…"

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you quit?" I asked.

"It was just time to move on, I guess" he looked down. "I thought that a new career might be nice…"

His gaze wandered on a frame not far from us, and my eyes softened at the picture inside as the real reason behind why he quit became obvious.

What a father wouldn't do for his family, eh?

* * *

When night finally came, I sneaked out with Allen. Sooner that day, the boys had told Allen to meet up with them outside. Of course, I fought for my way in too.

 _"_ _And what about me?" I asked, earning their attention. "Can I come too?"_

 _The kids concerted each other._

 _"_ _She's a girl" Cheetah pointed out._

 _"_ _Thank you, captain obvious" I drawled._

 _"_ _She did help us enrolled our new member, though" replied Dan._

 _"_ _She doesn't have to join us. She could just be like, a guest of honor?" proposed Bob._

 _"_ _We do owe her one" remarked Eric._

 _"_ _I guess that could work" finally nodded Archie._

 _They turned back to me as one, looking ceremoniously serious._

 _"_ _As of today, you are the guest of honor of the Abochidae Pirate Corps!" announced pompously the little Leader._

 _"_ _Hey, Allen, you hear that? I' a guest of honor!" I beamed at him._

 _He simply rolled his eyes, apparently unsure either to be annoyed and amused at my antics._

Once outside, we quickly found Archie.

"You're late!" exclaimed the little Leader.

I simply smiled at him while Allen scratched the back of his head.

* * *

 **Aryane acts a little childish, but it's in her nature. Seeing as they don't have opportunities to act their age often, she take it on herself to create them for herself and her friends so that they can have a little more normal lives.**

 **Question: Mind if I ask what you think or Ary again? I seriously need an outside point of view.**

 **Love and reviews!**


	10. Join the Pirates PART 2

**OMG! I've got reviews, so I'm posting a new chapter! I'm so glad to have readers, thank you so, so much!**

 **Answer: I've got the answers, thanks a bunch!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

We were now inside a cave, Archie leading us to where the rest of the group was. He seemed at ease inside, with a flaming torch in hands, and I couldn't help but wonder how no one apparently knew of this place except for the kids.

"This cave is our pirate corps' secret lair" he announced.

A faint noise started echoing on the walls as we approached the bottom of the tunnel, getting louder the more steps we took. After a minute, we reached our destination and my step faltered slightly when I realized just exactly _what_ they were doing here.

"Oh, there you are, Archie, Allen, Aryane!" greeted Bob.

Not paying attention to his work, he brought down his hammer on his finger, and I cringed in sympathy at his pain.

"Surprised?" asked Archie, acting as if it was a daily occurrence. "We're building a ship here!"

He ran to join his friends, and Cheetah opened his arms.

"We're going out to sea!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, and get those pirates!" added Archie.

"Pirates? You mentioned them before…" I remarked, sending a look at Allen.

"We saw some real pirates" nodded the little Leader. "That night, we came here to see the ferry…"

"You can see the ships come in here before they come into view from the port" clarified Bob.

"It usually comes in during the afternoon, but they were waiting for a storm to pass, so it was night by the time they got here" pursued Archie. "The wind blew strong and sudden, and just then, a weird ship came out of the sudden fog and destroyed the ferry, before disappearing again"

I crossed my arms over my chest, the story becoming clearer.

"We tried to tell the grown-ups" assured the innkeeper's son.

"But nobody believed us!" said Eric.

"So we're gonna go out in our ship and take those pirates down!"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Allen coming to an understanding. He shot me a glance, and I slightly shook my head: It wasn't a kid's made-up game.

"We're serious!" assured Bob.

"Allen, come fight with us!" pleaded Archie.

I cleared my throat, a little annoyed that they left me out.

"I can fight too, you know" I piped in.

Before any of them could answer, Allen smiled a little, and I realized it was the same smile some adults got when dealing with children who wouldn't listen.

Sighing internally, I waited for everything to blow up.

"Fighting pirates is all well and good, but you'll cause your father undue worry" he said.

I refrained the urge to smack my hand on my forehead. Of course, bring the damn family issues into this.

"Don't talk about my dad!" Archie's fist clenched.

"Archie…"

"My stupid, landlubber dad…" he seethed. "I don't want anyone who'd take my dad's side as one of my pirates! Get out!"

The boys tried to protest, but the kid wouldn't listen. As they argued, I went to Allen's side.

"Great job" I muttered. "Let's just go. He won't listen in this state"

He nodded, guilt apparent on his features, and I lightly pushed him outside before waving at the boys and following. Archie was still ranting, so only Dan and Eric saw me and waved back sadly.

* * *

Once outside the cave, I sighed heavily.

"Of course you had to bring his dad into this…" I grunted.

"But doesn't he understand how much his father sacrificed for him?" he protested.

"Allen, just smacking the facts in his face won't help" I scolded. "But it doesn't mater anymore. We won't get anymore from them, but from what they said, it's easy to understand it's most likely than not an Akuma attack"

His eyes widened slightly.

"Is that why you insisted for us to join? Because you knew something was up?"

"Kids tell the truth more often than you could imagine" I shrugged. "If they made up the story, they wouldn't get so angry and defensive over it. Maybe annoyed, but a made-up game would just make them laugh"

"And you picked this up when we crossed paths with them this morning" he said dumbly.

I patted his head, grinning.

"I know, I know, I'm amazing"

He scoffed, and we reached the inn.

"I'll join later" I said when he opened the door. "I'll try to talk some sense into Archie. If he gives up, the others will follow"

"Alright, then. Good night"

"Night"

The door closed, and I sighed again, before taking a seat on the porch. I didn't know when the boy would come back, but I'd wait.

After a few minutes, I grunted in annoyance.

I should have taken my book with me.

* * *

After what seemed like hours –which was more than probable-, light steps echoed in the empty street. Straightening, I watched as Archie finally arrived.

When he saw me, he froze in place, before his surprise expression turned to a bitter one and he stomped towards me.

"What're you doing up? It's late" he sneered at me.

"I was waiting for you" I shrugged. "You know, to be sure you came back safe and all. I'm sure your father would do the same if he knew you sneaked out"

"Don't you dare talk about him!" he exclaimed angrily. "Oh, you know what? Whatever! I'm going to sleep!"

He placed his hand on the knob, determined to ignore me and go inside without a look behind.

"I had a dad, once"

His grip on the know tightened a little, and I felt him stiffened at my words.

"What?" he simply said.

"I had a dad, once" I repeated. "He was strong, kind and brave. He loved my mother like no one else, and I was his little girl. We were a very united family, and he would've done anything to protect us. Which he did, I guess"

"… what happened to him?"

He seemed afraid to ask.

"He died" I answered flatly. "His job… it was a very dangerous one, but he did it to protect my mother and I. No matter the cost he had to pay, he said, as long as we were safe. That's all that mattered to him. But then, he died, and the perfect family was broken. My mother… she died from sadness, I think you could say. I was eleven at that time"

This time, he fully turned to me, fright evident on his features.

"W-why? Why are you telling me this?" he yelled.

"Your dad loves you. When he lost your mother, he just couldn't afford dying because of his job because then, it would mean leaving you alone to face the world. He stopped doing what he loved, he sacrificed his passion, because he wanted you to have at least a parent. What do you think would happen if he lost you too, uh?"

At his horrified gaze, my own softened a little and I gently placed my hand on his head, making him stiffened. He lifted glassy eyes at me.

"All I'm saying is that you should think before acting rashly, and imagine the consequences for both you and your father. Your dad his still here, and you should cherish what you have with all your heart while you still have it"

Having nothing more to say, I opened the door and went inside, knowing he would follow once his thoughts were settled.

* * *

"If you're ever around here again, come on by" smiled Jed as he saw us off.

"Will do!" assured Allen.

"Also, so sorry that Archie didn't see fit to say goodbye, even though you spent all day with him yesterday" he scratched the back of his head.

"It's alright, I'm sure he just has a lot on his mind" I smiled kindly. "Thank you for the room and the food!"

I bowed, and Allen quickly did the same. Then, waving to the kind man, we walked back to the port.

"Do you think you managed to change his mind?" asked Allen.

"I have no idea" I answered truthfully. "I just hope he won't do anything stupid. Seeing as we are most likely to deal with Akumas, having to protect him and the rest of the kids will only complicate everything"

"I hope you're right" he nodded.

We finally reached the little cabin at the port, where Allen called the Order to announce our arrival to Komui.

Sitting on the deck, I watched as the ferry slowly made it's way towards us when a scream echoed.

"Oi! Come back here!"

Turning my head, I saw Jed running towards us while yelling at the top of his lungs. However, he wasn't screaming at us, but rather...

"Crap!"

Getting up, I looked closer, but had to come to an understanding: Archie and his pirate corps had just sailed.

"Just fucking great" I cursed.

"Ary, there are Akumas on the ship over there!" warned Allen behind me, his eye activated.

"I'm on it, get a boat to join us! I can't fly with someone!" I exclaimed, putting away my jacket and bags. "Innocence: Activate!"

Ignoring the gasp from the innkeeper, I spread my wings and went after the boys as they approached the black ship, which started firing at the ferry. When I finally managed to catch up to the kids, they had already shot the ship with some fireworks and cheered at their 'victory'.

"Oh, that scared me" echoed an Akuma's voice.

His canon then turned to the little boat and shot.

"Feathered blades!" I yelled.

My wings turning to steel, I spread them as far as I could to stop the blast from reaching it's targets. The attack hit harshly, but I stood my ground –more or less- and gritted my teeth when I felt some of the feathers crack a little. Then, I dropped on the deck before Archie and his friends.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I exclaimed, annoyed.

"A-Aryane?" Archie's eyes widened at my sudden appearance.

"Head's down!"

Forcibly pushing the boys down, there was an explosion behind us, and I saw Allen protecting us with his arm, on Jed's boat.

"Allen! Dad!"

"Allen, Aryane, what's with the wings and the arm?" asked the man.

"We'll explain later" my friend shook his head.

"We'll take care of the ship, get the kids out of here!" I ordered, joining the side of the white haired teen.

"Let's go, Ary!"

"Hai!"

Leaving the civilians behind, I flew toward the ship while Allen jumped on the pointy rocks.

"Ooh, Exorcists?" said the same Akuma as before. "Two? But no matter! I can kill hundreds in a single go, and level up in an instant!"

"We won't let you!" yelled Allen.

"Kiddo, where is the Akuma?" I asked, searching for our enemies, in vain.

"I can't find him! All I can see is the… ship…"

"The ship itself is a demon!" I realized at the same time he did.

"Right you are!" cackled the monster, eyes appearing on both sides.

Allen jumped on board while I tried to find it's weak point by the air. He avoided the attacks and the Akuma, getting annoyed, fired towards the ferry.

"I got it, destroy him!" exclaimed Allen, jumping after the deadly projectiles.

"But…"

My eyes suddenly landed on Archie's boat, making it's way towards Allen as he barely stopped the attacks. One of them hit the mat, which started falling on them.

"No!"

"Archie!" yelled Jed, before sending his own boat under it to divert the trajectory.

The boat was wrecked in two before I could move, but relief washed over me when I realized everyone was okay.

My fists shaking, I turned to face the Akuma.

"Now, you pissed me off" I snarled. "I don't care if I don't find your weak point, I'll just destroy you one piece at a time if I have too! Spin Rocket!"

I pierced through the hull once, twice, trice, before I had to stop, some of the steeled feathers damaged sooner falling into the deep sea.

Panting, I gritted my teeth when I realized it was going to shoot me down. I was to tired to escape without injuries. Then, as it was about to fire, something flew above my head and hit it's 'head'. Looking back, I realized it was Archie and his father firing some more firework. Grinning, I shot them a thumb up before spreading my wings wide.

"One last time" I grunted. "Feathered Blades!"

I fired at the head, feeling relieved at the cries of the monster, and Allen ran past me, now able to move without having to protect the ferry.

"Together!" I yelled.

"Got it!"

His arm changing to this weird bazooka-thingy, he shot too and, a moment later, the Akuma exploded, sending water flew everywhere. I sighed happily when drops hit my face, my smile disappearing when I suddenly dropped towards the water.

Allen caught me before I could hit the rocks, and I grinned at him.

"We make one hell of a team, don't we?"

"You shouldn't tire yourself like that" he shook his head, smiling lightly.

"But I was awesome, right? I know I was" I insisted as he hauled me up.

He simply shook his head, making me laugh, and Timcanpy sat on my head.

I deactivated my Innocence, knowing I shouldn't use it for a few days, and let him help me back to the port, where Archie, his friends and his dad were now waiting for us.

* * *

Once on the firm ground once again, I let myself drop on the pavement, sighing heavily.

"Note to self: _Angel_ is _not_ a shield" I grunted, feeling a little drowsy. "Or at least, not against Akuma canon balls"

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Allen, frowning.

"Just a little tired" I shrugged it off. "I'll be fine in a day or two, no sweat"

"Allen! Ary-nee!"

"Hey, a new title!" I grinned as we turned to greet the little bunch of brats.

"Are you two okay?" asked Jed.

"I'm fine, but Ary…"

"I'm fine too" I glared at Allen, who chuckled sheepishly.

"But your wings…" Archie trailed off, apparently still struggling with everything that happened.

"They'll be back in shape in three days at most" I assured, patting his head.

Then, I roughly whacked the heads of each of the boys.

"What the hell were you thinking, you stupid brats? Going after danger like that, with fricking _fireworks_? Even I am not that crazy, and that's saying something!"

"We're sorry!" they looked down, ashamed, and I sighed.

I couldn't stay mad at them when they looked like kicked puppy, seriously.

"Just… don't do it again. Next time, you won't be so lucky as to have the amazing me around, plus her sidekick" I smirked.

They sweatdropped a little, but Allen then smirked back evilly.

"I'm still taller"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

* * *

Three days later, I was fully healed –gotta love _Angel_ , really- and we were now leaving on the repaired ferry.

"Three days, and we're finally back on the road" sighed Allen.

"I can't wait to see Jumper" I grinned. "It seems like forever since I last saw her!"

"It has been a while" he nodded, then glanced at the sea. "Hey, look!"

Obeying, I saw everyone on Jed's new boat waving at us. I waved back, smiling brightly.

"Kick some bad guy's ass, Ary-nee!"

"You too, Allen!"

"Bye bye!"

"Be careful, you brats!" I yelled back.

"Jed-san started sailing again, and Archie's group became his apprentices" remarked Allen, smiling.

"And they're going to be awesome" I added.

Finally, the boat disappeared as we fully left the port.

"Well then, off to meet up with Lenalee and find my Master!"

"I swear, once I get my hands on him, I'll make him pay for making us run after him like that" I promised darkly. "Seriously, I met him not a month ago! How can he have gone so far?"

"Count me in" nodded my friend. "So, up for a snack?"

"Sure. You're paying!"

I started running towards the restaurant, the teen on my heels.

"O-oi! Ary! No, Ary, I'm not- Ary!"

Laughing, I kept running ahead.

* * *

 **So, I had some reviews, which I'm so thankful for! Also, for anyone wondering: when deactivated, Aryane's Innocence has the same appearance as Allen's. Ohterwise said, she has two crosses on her shoulderblades, one for each wing.**

 **Question: What was Ary's father's job?**

 **Reviews are love, and new chapters too!**


	11. Parting Ways (for now)

**Hey, I really wanted to update as soon as possible, and a special thanks to Chimera-Dragon for answering the question -even though you had it wrong-. It's nice to see I wasn't abandonned!**

 **Answer: He was a Finder! More precisions in this chapter ;-)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"It's so boring" I grunted, my head against the window.

"There's not much change in the scenery before the next station" nodded Lenalee.

We had met up with her a few hours before, and were now heading for our next destination… I forgot the name, but the others knew where we were going, so I guess that's fine.

While Allen dozed off, she told me about how she partnered up with Summan and a Finder named Goz to protect a child and her mother from weird wolf Akumas attacks. I smiled at the story. If my jerk-ass, ego-complexed, surrogate father had a weakness, it was kids, and even more little girls. They reminded him of his daughter, just like I did back when we first met, I guess.

Hearing Allen whine about how we hadn't woken him up for the pretty valley from sooner, I pushed away my thoughts. I was about to say something when the train brake brutally. I managed to keep in place, but Allen was sent flying towards Lenalee's chest, which she protected with her mallet, making me laugh.

"Nice try, Kiddo. Real smooth" I smirked.

"W-what? No, I didn't- Lenalee, I'm not…"

"It's okay, Allen" she shook her head. "Ary, stop teasing him"

"Why? It's fun!"

"You're impossible" she sighed.

"You still love me, though" I hugged her, smiling.

"Of course I do" she smiled back.

"Looks like a carriage is stuck on the track" announced Allen, peering outside the window. "They…"

He stiffened and stopped talking when his eye activated.

"Akumas!"

At the same time, the train started shaking under the attacks of said weapons.

Activating our Innocence, we ran outside and I instantly went after the Level Two, who seemed to lead the operations.

"Oh, Exorcists on board?" he realized as Allen started shooting at them.

The train started moving away, and I appeared in front of the Akuma.

"Feathered Blades!"

He escaped, and my attack hit four others behind him. As he ran away, a new group appeared beyond the trees.

"Why are there so many?" asked Lenalee, joining my side.

"Does it looks like I know?" I snapped back. "Sheesh, just destroy them and we'll question life later, okay?"

She rolled her eyes, but attacked anyway. Doing the same, my eyes landed on the Level Two again as I destroyed two more Akumas. He had Allen trapped under some sort of giant flying squirt.

"Lenalee!" I called, as she was closer.

"On it!"

I destroyed the last of the Akumas while my friends took care of the leader rather easily, then joined them.

"It's over" sighed Lenalee.

"No, it's not"

We both lifted our heads up and saw what Allen just pointed out.

"Another group, seriously? They keep popping up like fucking cockroaches!" I stomped my foot. "And I'm hungry, too!"

"Ary, so not the time" Allen sweatdropped.

"Let's just destroy them once and for all" intervened Lenalee.

"Hai!"

And once again, we attacked.

* * *

Sitting around a fire, I gazed at the stars now populating the dark sky. My stomach grumbled, and Allen's answered back, making Lenalee giggle a little.

"Don't you dare laugh at our pain, Jumper" I grunted.

"But anyway, why do you think there were so many?" she asked, shooting me a grin.

"Think we could eat some olive leaves?" remarked Allen, looking around us.

"Let it go, he's not listening" I told Lenalee, smiling slightly. "But to answer your question, I have no more idea than you do. Let's just contact Komui and ask him once we get our hands on a communicating device"

"Right"

We fall silent as Allen slowly went to sleep.

* * *

"Allen, wake up!"

"Uh? What…"

"Someone's coming" I warned, narrowing my eyes.

We stayed tense for a moment, before a caravan passed by, revealing it to be a group of Finders.

"Finders!" smiled Lenalee.

"Food!" I high-fived with Allen.

"Oh, you two…"

* * *

We were now sitting with fuming bowls at the Finder's table.

"Itadakimasu!" I exclaimed, before digging in.

"I'm Devon, the Leader of this troupe" he presented himself as we ate.

He then smiled.

"You two must be the Exorcists with the appetite Jeryy was talking about" he said. "Such voracity recall me of my younger days. Eat more!"

"Thank you!"

We pursued eating. It was delicious!

"Many of the towns on our way here have been attacked by Akumas" he then announced, more serious. "The lot you dispatched have been gaining force as they move"

"Moving? Where are they going?" asked Lenalee.

"Where exactly is beyond us, but it's somewhere to the west" he answered.

"The west?" she repeated, glancing at us. "Why would that be?"

I shrugged, and Allen frowned.

"I don't know why, but it was an unusual force" he remarked.

"It was indeed. We'll investigate it later on" assured Devon.

Then, he switched moods again, and grinned at us.

"Jeryy tells me he's most enamored with your stomachs, Allen, Aryane"

"He's not enamored with them, but in love with them!" retorted Lenalee with a smirk.

"What? In love?" repeated Allen.

His horrified gaze was the end of me, and I burst out laughing, the others soon joining in as the boy kept panicking.

* * *

Night had fallen upon us, and the Finders were kind enough to lend us some spare blankets. Lenalee suddenly sat up, panting, and I stiffened slightly, before slowly turning to her, as if I just woke up too.

"Are you okay?" I asked, making my voice sound drowsy.

"Y-yeah, of course" she shook her head. "Just a silly nightmare"

"Tell me about it" I mumbled in my covers.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing" I quickly retorted. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"I am. Sorry for waking you up. Good night!" she laid down once again, and I sighed.

That was a close one. A little more and she would have realized…

I shook my head, and went back to playing with my necklace.

It'd be a long night.

* * *

"So, this is where we'll part ways" announced Devon. "We'll be heading up the coast to rendezvous with Marshall Tiedoll"

"Thank your for all your help" said Allen, shaking his hand.

"And for the food too!" I chirped in, beaming at the man.

"Take care on your way" added Lenalee.

"Safe trails to the three of you, and may you find Cross Marshall as soon as possible"

"Same"

After that, they went down to the village in the valley, and I turned to the others.

"Mister Devon is an odd sort of guy, isn't he?" said Lenalee, giggling a little. "Allen and him look a lot alike"

"Thought so too" I smiled. "He was really nice. I hope him and the others will be okay"

They both nodded, and we went on our way. However, barely fifteen minutes later, a flare exploded in the sky, just above the city.

"A distress signal!" recognized Lenalee.

"The village must be full of Akumas" I realized. "Let's go, quick! Innocence: activate!"

Lenalee and I flying as Allen ran, we quickly made it to the village where Akumas were gathering around the perimeter the Finders had managed to establish. As they attacked the barrier, we started destroying weapon after weapon, cutting through the enemies like knife in butter.

"Exorcists-sama!" Devon's relieved voice echoed.

"Hey, Devon-san!" I waved, before jumping to avoid an Akuma. "Oi, I'm talking to my friend here! Doesn't the Earl teach you any manners in Evil Weapon Academy?"

Apparently not appreciating my amazing humor, it shot at me.

"Feathered Blades!"

And BOUM it goes.

Pursuing the fight, and the Finders helping out by trapping them with the barriers, we almost finished them off when the ground under the caravan lifted, and a Level Two came out.

"Level Two, reporting" a woman's voice announced.

Then, it started spouting friggin fire, making the Finders scatter to avoid it's attacks. Annoyed, I sent a few blades it's way, but it avoided them by going after Devon, who ran in an alley. Going after them, I finally caught up when she was about to pierce him with her tail.

"I have a Marshall to find, and my demons to grow on the way" It sighed heavily. "So please, out of the way!"

"Well, you did say please" I remarked, gaining her attention. "I guess that counts for something. But you tried to kill my friend, which I'm not really okay with. So… toddles!"

Before it could answer, I slashed through it with my wings, before posing next to Devon as it exploded behind us.

"Are you alright?" I asked, helping him up.

"Yes, thanks to you" he smiled gratefully. "I am grateful for your help"

"No problem" I assured.

"Ary, Devon-san! Are you two okay?" called Allen, joining us.

"We're fine!" I assured.

"Everyone else is alright too" said Lenalee, coming our way.

"Thank God" I sighed, letting go of my Innocence.

"I apologize for troubling you so" said Devon, looking down. "I'll repay you with my special sandwiches, how about that?"

"I'd say that I could get use to this kind of gratitude" I grinned.

Linking arms with him and happily heading back in the street, the others followed behind, laughing softly.

* * *

Now sitting on the carriage, eating the delicious sandwiches of Devon-san, I was thinking. The way to their meeting point –Barcelona- would be dangerous, and if they ever got into the same situation as before but without Exorcists around…

I glanced at Allen and Lenalee, then down at the sandwich in my hands. Then, I made up my mind.

"Guys, I have to call Komui" I said. "I'll be right back"

They shot me curious glances, but nodded anyway, and I got inside the carriage to get a hold of a phone. My Golem connecting the line, I waited for someone to answer.

 **"** **Headquarters?"**

"Hey, Reese, it's Ary" I greeted.

 **"** **Ary! Nice to hear from you. Want to talk to Supe?"**

"Please"

 **"** **Right away"**

After a few seconds, Lenalee's brother was on the phone.

 **"** **Ary! How are you? How's Lenalee? And Allen?"**

"We're all okay, even though there's no real advance in finding Cross" I replied, frowning a little. "We met up with a group of Finders who are to find Tiedoll-sensei, but their travel route isn't exactly safe, you know. We just saved them from an entire Akuma village. I was just wondering if maybe, I could escort them and then meet back with Jumper and Kiddo?"

He thought for a moment.

 **"** **I guess it could be arranged. We'll contact again to talk about a meeting point. Just… don't do anything crazy, okay?"**

"Me? Doing something crazy?" I repeated, placing an hand on my heart. "I'm offended, Komui, really"

He scoffed.

 **"** **See you soon, Ary"**

"See you"

The connection was cut, and I went back outside as the carriage stopped.

* * *

 _A few hours later_

Seeing as this was where we parted ways again, I quickly grabbed my things before joining my friends and Devon-san.

"Ready to go, Ary?" asked Allen.

"Actually, Kiddo, I'm not going with you" I shook my head, smiling a little.

"What do you mean?" frowned Lenalee.

"Aw, don't make that face, Jumper!" I grinned. "Don't worry, I just asked Komui the permission to escort Devon-san and the group to Barcelona. We'll meet up later to pursue the original mission but for now, it'll be just you two, okay?"

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Hey, I got these amazing Finders with me, nothing will happen!" I assured, earning a few chuckles from those who listened to us.

"If you're so sure…" Allen trailed off.

"I am. Go on the goose chase while I kick some more Akuma ass, and we'll meet back later on, okay? It'll only take a few days, a week at most" I shrugged.

"Be careful"

"Oh God, why is everyone telling me this? It's not like I'm going to blow the entire planet on a whim!" I threw my hands in the air, annoyed.

They laughed a little, then walked away as I waved goodbye. When they weren't in sight anymore, an hand landed on my head, and I turned to Devon-san.

"It is very kind of you to escort us, Aryane" he smiled.

"Don't sweat it" I waved it off. "To be completely honest, it was partly because I wanted some more of those awesome sandwiches"

That made him laugh, and we went on our way to Barcelona.

* * *

The Finders were really kind and when night fell, they practically ordered me to sleep inside the carriage, seeing as it would be a cold night. I tried to refuse, really, seeing as I didn't exactly needed it, but they ignored me and I shut up when Devon threatened to lock me inside. At that, I pulled my tongue at him before closing the door, earning a few laughs from those around.

When I was certain they were all sleeping tight, I made my way outside and walked a dozen of meters ahead, letting my gaze wander on the bare land extending at my feet.

I had a bad feeling twisting my guts, a really bad one that made me want to hurl. Maybe because of how many Akumas were around? The air always felt heavier with them in the place.

"Can't sleep?"

I turned to Devon-san, and shook my head.

"I'm not really tired" I simply said. "The guilt of letting you all sleep outside is keeping me up!" I added more dramatically, making him chuckle.

We went back to the fire, and sat down in front of it.

"You know, it has been a while that my men and I wanted to meet you" he finally said.

I snapped my eyes to him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"There are a lot of rumors about you, Aryane Darkelston" he precised. "Words of an Exorcist that haven't shed a tear since she arrived at the Order. She never cried once for those who had fallen, but grieved each and every one who died with the notes of her heart"

At lost at what to answer, I simply stared into the dancing flames.

"The Finders are very fond of you" he pursued. "Because you grieve us, yes, but you never forget and honor our deaths by fighting harder, therefore making sure our sacrifices are not in vain and that those who we fight for in the first place live safely. There is no greater honor you could do for us, Aryane, and I don't think you realize just how much respect your inspire to all Finders"

"I…"

Struggling to wrap my mind about everything that he just said, I finally opted for the truth.

"My dad was a Finder" I finally admitted, fingering my necklace. "He became one after an Akuma killed his mother, right after I was born. He loved us so much, my mother and I, he wanted to be able to protect us with all he had. So, he joined the Order, keeping in touch with us despite the rules. However, short after I turned eleven, he died while he was away. Normally, the family isn't informed but, somehow, the information leaked out and reached us"

I cleared my throat. The memories seemed so far yet so close at the same time, it turned me mad.

"My mother was unable to get over her grief, and accepted the Millennium Earl's offer, therefore calling back my father and turning into an Akuma. That night was when my Innocence activated for the first time. I destroyed the weapon, but… not by accident. I wanted to. It wasn't my mother, it wasn't my father. It was a monster that kept my father's soul in chains and the only way to free him was to destroy it. So… I did. After that, knowing what I was due to my father's research, I joined the Black Order"

I shifted in place, letting go of the necklace.

"I guess that, when I see you, I see a part of my father too, you know? Men fighting to protect their loved ones, to make the world better. You don't have the Exorcists power, yet you keep fighting. It think… I think that you don't realize, how you inspire me, too. I refuse to let this courage and strength be forgotten, so I use it to finish the work you started" I concluded with a bright smile his way.

He smiled back, apparently touched by what I just said, and bowed his head.

"I am honored by your words" he said. "It is good to know that no matter what happens, our deaths will still make a difference"

"You being alive is better, though. I can't promise to save all of you, or even any of you. I can't even be sure I'll survive tomorrow either! However, I can assure you that I'll do my best to protect you and anyone else for that matter" I promised. "After all, what kind of escort would I be if I didn't?"

He chuckled at that, and we fall in a comfortable silence. It had been a while since I talked about my father, but I never tried to hide it in the first place. When someone asked, I answered. It wasn't a secret, and I didn't want it to be.

"I'll try to catch some sleep, now" I said, getting up. "Goodnight, Devon-san"

As I reached the carriage, however, his voice stopped me.

"Aryane"

"Hm?"

"Have you… have you ever regretted it? Destroying the Akuma, I mean"

I fully turned to him, smiling slightly.

"Never. Because if I did, it would mean I considered this monster as my father, and that would be the greatest affront I could do to him"

He nodded, understanding, and I went back inside, even though I knew I wouldn't sleep.

No regrets didn't meant the nigthmares wouldn't haunt me.

* * *

 **So, there's Ary's past. It's not exactly a big deal, but I didn't want to go with the cliché 'I lost everything and now I'll avenge them' thingie, you know? So, resuming: her father was a Finder, so she knew about Akumas and the Black Order, but he died during a mission and her mother, in grief, made the deal with the Earl, forcing Aryane to activate her Innocence and destroy the Akuma.**

 **Also, for anyone wondering, Aryane lived in Paris, which is why she speaks French.**

 **Question: What would those nightmares be?**

 **PS: They're important. You'll understand later why, though.**

 **Reviews are love, and I'll answer any question if you don't understand something!**


	12. Attack On Barcelona

**So, I'm back with yet another chapter, and we are now in Barcelona! Yeah, death and suffering!**

 **...**

 **Anyway, thanks to Chimera-Dragon for your reviews, I really appreciate it!**

 **Answer: Well, it would be a spoiler, so I won't tell. However, here are two hints:**

 **\- It's memories**

 **\- It's not _her_ memories, per se.**

 **Ah ah, I feel evil to leave it at that, but hell.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When we finally reached the city, I left the group to contact Komui.

 **"** **Hey, Ary"**

"Where's the Boss?" I asked Reever curiously.

 **"** **Doing his paperwork, for once. He told me to warn you that Barcelona is about to be attacked, and asks of you to defend the city as much as you can. Kanda, Marie and Daisya are on their way too and should be there soon, and Allen and Lenalee are trying to catch up too"**

"Roger that" I nodded. "And I swear, if you ask me to be careful, I'm going to break something"

He laughed a little.

 **"** **Fine, fine, I won't say it. Don't get killed, though. It'd be a drag to find a new Exorcist right now"**

"I feel your love" I drawled. "Anyway, I'll contact once everything is done here. Later!"

 **"** **Later"**

Leaving the phone, I went toward what seemed like the main tent. As I approached, I could hear from the Finders around that they really needed help as soon as possible, because of the oncoming attack. I entered the tent, but no one saw me.

"Isn't there anyone who can get over here?" asked a man who was like, four times taller than me.

"Do I count?" I asked, raising my hand.

Surprised, he looked at me, before his eyes pinned on the crossed rose on my chest.

"Lady Exorcist!" he realized with palpable relief.

"I was asked to help out with the defense of the city" I informed. "Other Exorcists are heading our way to help out too, but I don't know if they'll make it in time so for now, you'll have to settle with me"

"We're grateful for any help we can get" he assured.

"As for the port, we can go there" proposed Devon, who was sitting farther away. "I am Devon, from the German contingent"

"Oh, you're the team that joined sooner, right? Well then, Mister Devon, you're in charge of the port"

"On it"

He walked outside and patted my head, before walking away to gather his men.

"What can I do to help?" I asked.

"We're currently preparing for the attack, and seeing as you'll act as solo offensive, I don't think you can help out with much, except maybe cheering our men up a little. Having an Exorcist on our side is always somewhat reassuring" he informed.

"Do you think I have time to take a tour in the city?" I asked, having an idea.

"A few hours, I'd say" he informed.

"I'll be back soon, then" I nodded and walked away.

* * *

I went deeper into the city as the gates were closing, spotting the best hiding spots around while I was at it. If the number of Akumas was as great as they said, I wouldn't be able to always stay in the open.

After a few minutes, I reached an apple stale where an old lady was packing her things.

"Hello, ma'am!" I greeted kindly. "How much for, let's say, all your apples?"

"All of them?" she repeated, more surprise by the unusual command than anything else.

"Yeah"

"Well, seeing as the city is currently under some sort of lockdown, I was closing shop" she said. "So let's say twenty for all of them?"

"Thirty and I accept"

Her eyes bulged out at that, and I laughed a little while getting my money.

"If I don't pay at least that much for so many apples, I'll feel bad, so it's more for me than for you" she chuckled at that and gratefully tossed the money in her pockets.

"I'll put everything in some baskets" she proposed.

"Thank you"

As I helped out, a presence made itself known next to me.

"These look delicious! I'll take one of those apples, please!"

I glanced at the man next to me while the poor woman stuttered our apologies.

"The lady here already paid for all of them, good sir, and I…"

"It's fine, he can take a few" I assured, handing some over to the gentleman.

"All of them?" he repeated, shooting me a curious look.

"It's for some friends" I shrugged, finishing to put everything in the baskets. "Cheering them up before tonight and all"

"Thank you anyway" he said, putting his apples in his hat. "I'm heading off on quite a long journey, so…"

"Journey? But where are you going to hide?" asked the old lady, worried.

"What do you mean?" he asked back, confused.

"The whole city is on lockdown right now" I informed. "There's about to be some… trouble, around these parts. I'd suggest you quickly find a hideout before everything blow out of proportions"

"You seem well informed for such a young lady" he casually remarked.

"I ain't a lady" I waved it off, balancing the baskets on my arms. "But if you really want to know, well… let's just say that I'll be stuck in the middle of it all, so I really need to be informed"

He nodded, and I lifted everything up at once. For a moment, I was about to loose my balance, but he caught me before I even begin to fall.

"Thank you" I beamed at him. "Have a good night ma'am, sir"

I started walking away, balancing the weights of all the full baskets on my arms.

"Wait! What is your name?"

"Uh?" I titled my head his way. "I'm Aryane, Aryane Darkelston. And you?"

"Tyki Mikk" he bowed, then straightened back with a smile. "Hope our paths cross again, Milady!"

I snorted at the title, but simply smiled at him before heading back to the base camp.

* * *

Distributing my apples all around, I was suddenly glad I bought the whole cart. We were way more than what I imagined, and felt bad when I ran out of fruits to give. The Finders simply laughed and said that me being here was more reassuring than eating apples.

Then, everyone was gathered in the middle of the place. The leader that I had talked too sooner received a note and sighed heavily, before turning to all of us.

"The Akuma's arrival is close at hand" he announced. "Unfortunately, we still can't find Tiedoll Marshall, but we must hold back the enemy for the sake of the city's population"

Everyone straightened at his words and, once again, I couldn't help but admire their courage.

"The Order is sending up Exorcists to meet up with the Marshall, and we already have one present! If we can just hold them off long enough for them to reach us, than we'll get through this!"

Wow, no pressure at all.

"All shield-bearers are to head for the southernmost gate. Other units stand by at your designated positions!"

"Hai!"

As they were about to scatter, I bit my lower lip, before gathering my courage.

"Wait!"

Surprised to hear me, they stopped in their tracks to look at me, and I gulped at the sudden attention. I was never good at speeches, but I had to do this.

"I… I may be an Exorcist, but I am no God" I announced, my voice wavering a little. "I can't promise to save everyone. I can't promise to protect each and any of you. Hell, I can't promise that I'll survive tonight either. However, I can promise that no matter what, if I have to give up my life to this battle, then I will gladly die by your sides! The sides of the bravest men who have ever walked this earth, the sides of friends and comrades, and the sides of those who have earn my utmost respect! So please, don't give up, no matter what happens!"

Silence befall upon us, before I found myself in an embrace. Surprised, I looked up to see Devon. Then, in a sudden need, I hugged him back tightly.

"Such a burden to place on such a young one's shoulders…" he muttered.

"There's no age for the worth" I retorted quietly. "Don't you dare die, Devon-san. I mean it"

"I'll do my best" he chuckled. "Same to you"

"Please, I won't go down that easily" I pulled away with a grin.

"I know you won't" he smiled back, patting my head.

Suddenly, anther hand fall on my shoulder, and I looked behind to see another Finder, who was smiling at me too. The rest were wearing the same expressions behind, all smiling as if no one was going to die, and my heart missed a beat.

I would save as much as I could, no matter the price to pay.

And if I had to die? Well, I'd go out with a bang.

* * *

On top of the wall, I gazed at the approaching forms.

"Here they come!" yelled the commander.

I took a deep breath and clenched my fists, waiting for the signal.

"Now!"

The shields went up, and I activated _Angel_ , elevating myself between the wall and the weapons.

"May the Force be with me" I grunted. "Feathered Blades!"

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Even though I destroyed as much as I could with the help of the Finders –trapping them in the shields-, I couldn't be everywhere at a time, and I was starting to tire. We already lost a lot of our men by a surprise attack when they passed under the walls to get inside, and I was flying in and out while trying to destroy as much as I could with one go. However, I've already been shot twice and if it hadn't been for my healing abilities, I'd already be dead. The problem is that even if the poison couldn't fully affect me, my Innocence didn't have the time to nullify it's effects completely while I fought, meaning my attacks were getting weaker and weaker each time.

Each faction was falling one after the other, no matter how many ennemy I destroyed though, and I was starting to despair that help wouldn't make it in time.

There was a scream, and I slashed through the Akuma that was about to kill the young man. Posing next to him, I cringed a little when some of my feathers fall on the ground in a 'CLANG', rotten by the poison.

"Lady Exorcist, you should fall back to gain back some strength" frowned the one I just saved.

"And let you all fight by yourself? Kill me now if I flee the battlefield like a coward" I scoffed. "I'd rather die here with everyone rather than survive with the shame of abandon. Now get to cover! Without your shield projector, you won't be much use"

"Hai!"

He saluted, and ran into an alley. Sighing, I glanced back up at the sky that was buzzing with invaders.

"Here we go again" I muttered, before flying back into battle.

* * *

As I flew above the port in search of survivors from the defeated units, my eyes landed on a gathering of Akumas on the decks. My eyes narrowed when I realized it was Devon with another Finder.

"Spin Rocket!"

Piercing through one enemy after the other, I managed to destroy more than half of them, before landing between them and the two man.

"A-Aryane!" recognized Devon.

"You two alright?" I asked, searching a way out of the mess I had just gotten into.

Because of course, another group had decided to join the one I just decimated. Understanding and dread settled at the same time in my guts, but now was far from the time to hesitate. An idea however popped in my head. I turned to the two Finders.

"Gentlemen, I'm not sure if I'm getting out of this one, but you better survive to tell my tales" I beamed at them.

Then, I spread my wings despite their protests and closed them around us to protect them from the shots.

There were lots of explosions as I gritted my teeth, waiting for the blow, but nothing even scratched my wings.

"Hey, Ary! Fancy seeing you here!"

My heart missed a beat as relief washed over me.

I had been ready to die but, in way, I really couldn't bare the thought.

"Daisy-chan!" I flew to him as he caught his ball.

"Stop calling me that!" he whined.

"Never" I grinned viciously. "About time you joined to fun, though. I was starting to be bored, all alone up there"

"Right, not like you were about to be blasted away or anything" he drawled. "But no matter. I bet I can get more than you, Ary-chan"

"Think you can keep up with my awesomeness?" I scoffed. "Plus, I already have a head start"

"I'll still beat you" he smirked.

"You're on. I'll escort these two back to the meeting point on my way, though" I pointed at the two Finders. "Warn if you find other survivors"

"Will do. Oh, and by the way, Marie and Kanda are here too" he said, jabbing his thumb at an oncoming boat.

I grunted in annoyance when Ba-Kanda made his flashy entrance with _Beasts of the Underworld_ , and I landed next to him, crossing my arms.

"You're late, Jerkface" I said.

"What, too much to handle for you, Akahato?" he retorted with a sneer. "Figures"

"Go to hell" I grunted. "And do your damn job while you're at it. Feathered Blades!"

Destroying those still around, I didn't wait for others to arrive and went back to Devon and the Finder.

"Come on, let's get a move on" I ordered.

They nodded, seeming calmer now that help arrived, and I easily escorted them back to meet up with the rest of the survivors.

"Three other Exorcists are here" I announced to the group.

Instantly, their tired faces cheered up.

"Help us if you can, but don't run ahead of danger" I pursued. "We don't need unnecessary losses, got it?"

"Hai!"

I grinned, before flying into battle once again. I was damn tired, my wings were slowly falling to pieces because of the poison spreading, but I knew that with the help of the other three, we didn't have to fear a failure anymore.

Steeling my resolve along with my feathers, I passed at the offensive once again, keeping my bet with Daisya in mind.

"Spin Rocket!"

* * *

 **"** **They're all split up!"**

 **"** **There are even more here than I expected"**

 **"** **Indeed"**

"There were more before you guys showed up, and do you see me complaining?" I grunted, now in an hiding spot.

 **"** **But we're here, right?"**

"Late" I pointed out. "But I can accept whatever help we can get. Seriously, I wasn't even supposed to be here at all"

 **"** **Shut up, Akahato"**

"You shut up, Jerkface!"

 **"** **Ary, Kanda, stop it"**

 **"** **Aw… man… hung"**

"Daisy-chan, did you say something?" I frowned.

 **"** **Daisya, you're breaking up"**

 **"** **Where are you guys right now?"**

 **"** **About three kilometers east of the funky building"**

 **"** **I'm about five west of it"**

"I'd say I'm around three too, at the north" I said.

 **"** **And I'm at the south"**

 **"** **Man, looks like… s'll be… ong ni… t"**

 **"** **I can hear the demons all around us. We're right in the middle of a crowd of them"**

 **"** **Let's meet up. We can find each other using our Golems if we're less than ten kilometers apart"**

 **"** **Well then, how about we meet up at Marie or Ary-chan?"**

 **"** **Ary, what do you think?"**

"I won't be able to fight for much longer" I admitted. "The Akuma poison is rotting my blades, and I'm tiring with each attack. I don't think I'll be able to meet up with anyone while keeping up that pace"

 **"** **For how long can you fight?"**

I frowned a little and look at the sky. There, nearly imperceptible, the sun was very, very slowly getting up.

"Dawn" I finally said. "Maybe a little longer, but not much"

 **"** **We'll meet up then"**

 **"** **Think you'll be okay, Ary-chan?"**

"Hey, I still have a bet to win" I scoffed. "Just get on with it"

 **"** **Tche"**

 **"** **Got it!"**

 **"** **Very well"**

"See you at dawn" I concluded.

The connection cut, and Akumas surrounded me once again.

"Bring it on, you assholes!" I yelled, clenching my fists.

* * *

 **"** **Has either of you managed to contact Daisya?"**

 **"** **No, not yet. I believe he said his Golem was acting up"**

"Me neither" I coughed. "Damn, I could do with a nap right now"

Wheezing a little, I spat some blood on the side. I was now hiding under a bridge, panting like a wild dog. I had great stamina, don't confuse me. However, I wasn't a demi-god either. I had my limits too, damn it!

 **"** **Are you alright, Ary?"**

"Yeah, I'm fine" I assured, slowly regaining my breath. "I just think I left a lung behind but, other than that, I'm fine"

 **"** **What!?"**

"Joking, joking" I waved my hand as if chasing a fly.

 **"** **Now's really not the time, Akahato"**

"Sorry, Jerkface" I sighed. "But anyway, he's bound to show up around here before morning, right?"

 **"** **Right"**

 **"** **Ary, we're headed your way right now. What's your position?"**

"Five kilometers north-west" I answered. "See you then"

And here we go again.

* * *

A scream suddenly echoed through the Golem, making me jump in fright.

 **"** **I'll… ki… scr… fu…"**

 **"** **Did you say something?"**

 **"** **Daisya!?"**

"The hell's happening?" I asked, running to another hiding point. "Daisy-chan? Oi, answer us, damn it!"

He never did.

* * *

The sun finally rose above the city, and with no more Akuma in sight, I let go of my Innocence in relief. Right now, all I wanted was to take a nap, then eat something.

Oh, and check on Daisy-chan too.

"Ary!"

Spinning around, I grinned and waved at Marie. Behind him was a less cheerful being, who scowled at my disheveled state.

"Hey, Cherub!" I greeted. "Still alive, Jerkface?"

"At least _I'm_ in one piece, Akahato" he scoffed. "I'm pretty sure your Innocence is utterly destroyed"

"No it's not!" I protested vehemently.

At their looks, I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, okay, maybe a little, but I'll be fine in a week at most" I assured. "But anyway, has any of you got news about Daisy-chan? 'Cause I got a bet to win"

"I'll try to find his Golem" said Marie, concentrating.

We waited in silence for a moment, before he started leading us in the empty streets. Careful as to not look at any of the pile of dusts and clothes along the way, I finally saw his figure ahead.

"At last!" I exclaimed, running it's way. "Daisy-chan!"

"Wait, Ary!" exclaimed Marie behind me, suddenly alert.

Ignoring him, I ran to the dark looming figure, then frowned, each step slower than the precedent.

"D-Daisya?" I called, suddenly wary as my guts twisted sickly.

He didn't answer.

He never would either.

Feeling sick, I looked away, fists clenched as Kanda and Marie finally joined my sides, each of them apparently well aware of the fate or our friend.

 _"_ _Hey, Ary-chan, let's bet on our lives!"_

 _"_ _What do you mean, Daisy-chan?"_

 _"_ _Stop calling me that! And what I mean is that we bet on who will die first! I bet that I'll die before you!"_

 _"_ _That's stupid. You can't bet that way"_

 _"_ _Sure I can, I just did!"_

 _"_ _Fine, fine. What do you want if you win?"_

 _He grinned wickedly at that._

 _"_ _Punch my killer in the face really hard. He'll have to be hell of a strong guy, though, so you might not be able to pull it off…"_

 _"_ _I'll do it!" I huffed, annoyed that he doubted my skills. "But if I die first, then I want you to take my necklace and bring it back to Lenalee"_

 _"_ _That's boring!" he whined._

 _"_ _Well it's my bet, so I decide" I retorted._

 _"_ _Fine, fine"_

 _Then, we sealed the deal with a rough shake of the hands._

"Guess you won the bet, eh, Daisy-chan?" I muttered, my hand clenched around my necklace.

If the other two heard me, they didn't say a thing.

* * *

 **So, a little depressing chapter for now... poor, poor Daisy-chan! And Ary who just has no idea about this mysterious Tyki Mikk *wink, wink*. Anyway, hope you enjoyed that one too!**

 **Question: Will Ary be able to punch Tyki in the face?**

 **Reviews!**


	13. Grief And Roses

**So, I keep coming up with new chapters, hoping it'll get the attention of other readers... *waves desperately*. A special thanks to my loyal Chimera-Dragon, who actually earned not one, but TWO questions about anything and everything that could come up in the plot, right or later on. And yes, that could include spoilers.**

 **Answer: Yes, she will. Won't tell when, but it'll happen *evil smirk***

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

I let my eyes wander without any real goal on the city. Sitting on the stairs of the main building, I thought about the horrible night. We lost a lot of Finders, and Daisya too, and Kanda and Marie had left sooner to find Tiedoll-sensei.

I didn't exactly felt that I was at fault. I never lied to myself and to the others: I can't save everyone. However, I couldn't help but think about the _what ifs_ and all that crap. What if I had been there sooner? What if I had been stronger? What if I didn't came at all and stayed with Allen and Lenalee? What if, what if, what if…

These mere words wouldn't change the tragedy, though. I didn't knew how many we lost: they haven't finished counting the bodies. However, I repeated the same mantra as ever in my head, trying to detach myself from reality.

 _Count the smiles, not the corpses._

A lot would say it's stupid, but it was probably the nindo that kept me going all along, and I wasn't ready to give it up just yet.

"Ary!"

Snapping back to reality, I waved at Allen and Lenalee, who were making their way up the stairs towards me. No point in making them worry for nothing, so I kept on my usual smile.

"Good grief, guys, you're kind of late for the party!" I remarked. "You missed all the fun!"

"Are you alright, Ary?" worried Lenalee, reaching my position.

"My Innocence is a bit out of shape for now, but it's almost healed up already!" I lied through my teeth, keeping up appearances.

"We're sorry we couldn't be here sooner" Allen looked down, apparently ashamed.

"Meh, we're alright now, right? Plus, Ba-Kanda, Cherub and Daisy-chan came to help, so it was easy as pie" I assured.

"But we saw the coffins… at the port" he frowned. "There were so many…"

At that, I swallowed back some bitter bile rising in my throat.

"Allen, you can't save everyone" I said solemnly. "You have to focus on those still alive without forgetting those who paved the path before them, okay?"

"Right" he smiled back, still a little unsure.

Lenalee looked around.

"Where are the others?" she asked curiously.

"Jerkface and Cherub went after Tiedoll Marshall" I answered, more seriously. "Daisy-chan… Daisya didn't make it. He was sent back to the Order an hour ago"

They looked down again, and I sighed heavily.

"First Devon-san… now Daisya…" muttered Lenalee.

My heart missed a beat, and I snapped my eyes at her, stunned.

"Wha… what did you say?" I asked, my voice sounding strangely weak.

She frowned sadly.

"Ary… Devon-san was killed during the night…"

I instantly got back to my feet.

"No!" I protested, frowning too. "He's alive, I saved him! Him and another Finder, I saved them a second before the other three arrived! He can't- he can't just be…"

I took a deep breath as they gazed at me with sadness.

Devon was dead.

 _Devon's dead._

Simple as that.

"Sorry" I mumbled, shaking my head. "I just… I saved him sooner and thought- sorry, it was stupid of me"

Before they could say anything, though, three figures arrived down the stairs.

"Tiedoll-sensei!" I exclaimed, running to the man.

He opened his arms and I hugged him tightly, ignoring the beard scratching my face. He chuckled deeply.

"It's been a while, Ary" he said as I pulled away. "And a rough night too, from what I've gathered. Sorry that I couldn't be here sooner"

"I'm just glad you're okay" I waved it off. "And that Jerkface actually done his damn job, with Cherub of course"

"You little bi…" Kanda seethed.

"Marshall Tiedoll" Lenalee cut in, Allen behind her.

He smiled at them, and we sat on the stairs once again.

"There's been a big battle here, uh?" the Marshall asked my two friends.

"Yeah, but we didn't make it in time either" Lenalee shook her head sadly. "By the time we got here, it was already over"

"In the end, we were of no use whatsoever" added Allen. "There were so many casualties…"

I clenched my fists at that, pushing away the dark thoughts and tapped the man's shoulder to get his attention.

"Cherub informed me you weren't going back to the Order, Tiedoll-sensei" I said.

"I must fulfill my mission" he simply answered. "Find new Innocence Hosts. You three have a mission of your own, right?"

"Finding the stupid womanizer" I nodded.

"The fight's not over yet" he said towards my two friends. "Five Marshalls have been attacked, one is dead and the last one is still missing"

"My Master" recognized Allen.

"That's right. You have to join his side as soon as possible" nodded the Exorcist.

"Hai" we nodded too.

He got up, Timcanpy posing in his hand.

"Well, I don't think that he'll go back to Headquarters quietly, though" he remarked.

"Of course he fucking won't" I snorted. "He hates this place"

"And we have no idea where to find him" admitted Allen.

"You don't?" he smiled. "Weren't you aware that Timcanpy is able to determine the location of it's creator?"

"Uh?"

"Get going, Timcanpy" ordered the man.

The Golem flew above our heads for a few seconds, before pointing to the east.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I exclaimed, annoyed. "We kept running around like friggin headless chicken when we could just have use Timcanpy straight away? Why didn't you say anything, Kiddo!?"

"I didn't know!"

I shook my head, and Tiedoll-sensei chuckled again.

"We haven't lost. The fight against the Earl has just begun" he solemnly announced.

"Right"

I was the first to pick up my things and I flashed a grin at my friends.

"Let's get going now, before the stupid womanizer gets too far" I said, balancing my bag on my shoulders.

"Good idea" Lenalee did the same, soon mimicked by Allen.

"Let's go, then" he said.

I hugged Tiedoll Marshall one last time and turned to the other two.

"Cherub, you keep safe, okay? And Jerkface… well, try to not be a jerk all of the time, even though it's probably impossible…"

"Go die, Akahato" he retorted.

"I feel the love" I drawled. "Oh well, let's go before we get contaminated with Ba-Kanda Parasites. I heard it makes you stupid like h- shit!"

Barely avoiding _Mugen_ , I started running.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! THE EVIL JERKFACE IS ON THE LOOSE!"

"COME BACK HERE YOUR DWARFED PIGEON!"

"FUCK NO! AND I AIN'T A DWARF _OR_ A PIGEON, DAMN IT!"

"I'M STILL TALLER THAN YOU!"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

* * *

"God, we've been at this for days" I grunted. "Timcanpy, are we almost there?"

The Golem simply kept going ahead, making me sigh.

"We're already in Bulgaria, and we'll leave Europe soon" Lenalee pointed out.

"Which probably means my Master isn't in Europe anymore" answered Allen.

"Right, he's probably in Asia right now"

"Stupid womanizer bastard, making us run from continent to continent" I mumbled between my teeth. "I'm going to punch him when we find him and drag his sorry ass back to Headquarters, even if I have to this by pulling his ear the whole way"

"Agreed" nodded the boy with an evil undertone.

Lenalee simply laughed nervously at our dark tones, and we were on our way again.

* * *

"Holy hell" I gasped at the sight.

"It's beautiful!" exclaimed Lenalee, stars in her eyes.

Just down the hill where we were now standing, gigantic roses fields were extending kilometers ahead. I felt the weight on my heart ease a little at the sudden paradise. Roses always managed to calm me down.

"I heard this region is famous for it's roses all around the world" said my girl friend.

"I've always wanted to come here for their annual festival" I nodded, taking in a deep breath.

I felt Allen stiffen next to me and I looked at him, only to see his eye activated.

"Girls, Akuma!" he warned, running ahead.

Lenalee and I exchanged a glance, before running after him. When we arrived in place, he had managed to save a poor man, still lying on the ground in fright, but he couldn't pass at the offensive.

"Lenalee, get it!" I ordered.

She nodded, and I ran to the civilian. Helping him up while Allen covered our backs, I guided him away from the fight to avoid lost shots.

"Are you alright, sir?" I asked gently, an hand on his shoulder.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again when an explosion echoed behind us.

"It's okay, my friends and I are pros when it comes to these things" I assured with a smile. "It won't come back, don't worry"

He nodded, still unable to make a sound.

* * *

A few minutes later, we were now accompanying him to Rose Dorina while the nice man explained what happened with the Akuma, a giant basket of roses on his head.

He shuddered at the end of his tale.

"Don't worry" I called to him. "Like I said, we're pros to handle these situations"

"The festival you're talking about, is it the one you mentioned sooner, Ary?" asked Allen, curious.

"Yeah" I nodded with a smile. "I can't wait to see it!"

"That reminds me!" exclaimed the man.

He plunged his hand into his basket and pulled out three beautiful roses, before handing them to us.

"Take them as my thanks for saving my life" he smiled at us.

"Thank you" I beamed at it.

* * *

We parted ways with the man once at the town, and were now walking down the streets, still following Timcanpy. There were many people around, which put me on edge. Even though I loved festivals, they tended to attract some… unwanted company, as we could have seen sooner.

"Hey!"

At Allen's shout, I glanced at him and realized he was looking at a stand. Curious, I approached and realized…

"LAAAAVIIII!"

Jumping on his back, he screeched and wailed his arms around as I laughed my head off.

"A-Ary! Stop doing that!" he exclaimed as I got down.

"No can do, Bookboy" I winked, then turned to Krory, who was watching us with confusion and amusement at the same time.

"Buffy! I'm so glad to see you too!" I hugged him tightly.

He hugged back, rather hesitantly, and my two companions joined us.

"Lavi, Krory!" beamed Lenalee.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Allen.

That seemed to tamper Lavi's cheery look somewhat. I frowned a little.

"How about we go find an inn for the night and you explain here?" I proposed, acting natural. "'Cause I'm starving"

"You always are, Ary" my blue-haired friends rolled her eyes.

Lavi mouthed a _thank you_ my way, which I just shrugged off, and we went to find an inn.

* * *

I stood up against the window frame, stiff.

"So far, we've confirmed one hundred and forty-eight deaths" announced somberly the redhead.

Everyone look down at that.

"There were other attacks than in Spain?" asked Lenalee with a small voice.

"So many in such a short time…" despaired Allen.

I wasn't really listening, though.

One hundred and forty-eight so far. _One hundred and forty-eight._

At that moment, the lies I told myself became as clear as crystal. No matter my nindo, no matter my beliefs. One hundred and forty-eight brave, good, people… no, brave and good _comrades,_ had fallen.

Because I couldn't save them.

Because I was too late.

Because I wasn't strong enough.

Because I had disillusioned myself in believing that I wasn't at fault, saying to all the truth even I couldn't believe.

Because even if I can't save everyone… _I should have been able too do so._

Brusquely, I opened the door and walked away. I didn't know where, I didn't know how far. I just had to get away.

"Ary!" called Lenalee behind.

"I'm going to breath some air" I said blankly, not turning back.

None of them followed, which I was grateful for.

I really couldn't save appearances any longer.

* * *

The four Exorcists watched with worry as the redhead girl walked out. She had a blank face, showing no emotion, but her hand kept clenching and unclenching her necklace as if she would break down if she didn't.

"She was at Barcelona" finally said Allen, looking down. "She fought the whole night, trying to save as much as she could…"

Then, Lenalee started crying, and the boys looked away once more.

Angry, sad, ashamed.

 _Angry,_ because they had been late.

 _Sad,_ because they lost friends.

 _Ashamed,_ because damn it, they were Exorcists! If they couldn't save these people, then what good were they?

* * *

Sitting on the roof, I closed my eyes as the wind slowly unfolded my braid. Outside, I was calm. Inside, everything was in a boiling turmoil that I was afraid would blow up anytime now. I wasn't going to cry. If I did, then it would make their deaths pointless. However, I couldn't stop the hate from growing.

Hate at the Akumas. Hate at the Earl. Hate at myself.

I knew I was being stupid. I couldn't be blamed for this, because no matter how strong someone is, this is a war. No side can escape without looses. That was the rational part of me, thought. The other part wasn't so cooperating and it made my heart hurt so bad I just wanted to rip it out myself.

Was it shame? Maybe.

Sadness? Most probably.

Anger? That's for sure.

There were explosions around and I snapped my eyes to the sky, relaxing when I realized they were only fireworks. The music from the festival echoed along the laughs of the people, and I suddenly felt calm. Not at peace, but calm.

I couldn't let go now. I had my friends to back up, my family to protect, a stupid womanizer to find and the world to save. I'd worry about the rest later.

 _Count the smiles, not the corpses._

"I won't cry your deaths, for you deserve my strength, not my tears" I whispered, my hand finally letting go of my pendant. "I will walk down the path you paved for all of us to advance on, and honor your sacrifice even if it is the last thing I do"

After that, I placed my flute on my lips and let my eyes wander on the colors exploding in the sky, my notes filling the silence.

* * *

 _A few hours later, night had fallen._

The doors opened, and Allen walked on the balcony, Lavi not far behind. Not revealing my presence, I simply listened.

"I've always fought with the goal of saving as many lives and souls as I can" said the white haired boy. "But I'm just not strong enough. I've failed to save so many of them… My friend from India, Nalei… Marshall Yeegar… Sara, the nurse… Devon-san and all the Finders… If only I had been there, if I had been stronger, if I had tried _harder…"_

I bit my lower lip at that, but the dark thoughts were well locked in the back of my mind now. I had come to terms –more or less- with what had happened, and I had to let Allen do the same.

"It's tearing me up inside" he spat.

"So all you have to do is try harder?" asked Lavi.

There was a moment of silence, and I smiled a little, seeing where Lavi was going with that.

"Do you really think you can save everyone on Earth?"

"I…"

"We don't fight alone" cut the redhead. "Right, Tenshi?"

I rolled my eyes at his smug tone and jumped down from my position, landing between them and earning a startled gasp from Allen as he backed away in sudden fright.

"You've been there the whole time?" he squeaked out.

Somewhat amused, I however turned to him with a serious expression.

"Allen, we can blame ourselves all we want, but they're dead and that's the kind of one-way trip only" I announced, crossing my arms. "You might consider this hypocrite coming from me seeing as I had the exact same thoughts as yours sooner, but these kind of tragedies… we have to use their sacrifice as a mean to grow stronger. They're counting on us to keep up what they worked so hard to achieve, and it's not dwelling on the past that'll help us go forward"

I sat on the balcony, letting my gaze wander on the now empty streets.

"We all feel that way one time or another" I pursued. "But we're not alone. We're friends, family, and we strive towards the same goals on the same path"

The boys fall silent, and I smile a little when a new presence came to stand next to me.

"Hey, Jumper"

"You see, Allen?" smiled Lavi.

"Yeah"

We stayed silent for a moment, enjoying this rare moment of piece, knowing it wouldn't last for long. Then, Allen stiffened.

"What's the matter?"

"The man who just crossed the street" he said.

"Akuma?" I guessed easily.

"Right"

 _Fucking jinxed it._

Allen ran ahead while I went inside and next to Krory's bed.

"Buffy" I called, shaking him.

"A-Ary?"

"Akumas" I simply said as everyone put on their uniform.

He mimicked us, and we then ran after the white haired boy, who had somehow managed to grab his coat before going.

* * *

When we got here, he had already destroyed the Akuma.

"I'll bet there's more coming" said Lavi, his hammer resting on his shoulder.

Allen turned around to look at the sky.

"There are" he confirmed. "They're still far away, but quite a few of them heading straight for us"

"Then let's meet them halfway, before they get to the town" proposed Lenalee.

We nodded our consent, and I sighed a little as we walked out of the town and into the rose field. I may or may not have lied about my condition and honestly, using it now would be a bad idea. However, if I managed to use it and deactivate it before the others saw it, then I'd be saved from the earful.

Yeah, worth a try.

"Here they come!" said Krory.

"Innocence: activate! Big hammer, little hammer, grow, grow, grow! Hammer of flames: _Hiban_!"

A large snake of flame erupted from the ground, swallowing the first enemies. Lenalee, Allen and Krory soon joined in and, once I was sure they were too occupied to look at me, I activated my own Innocence.

I winced a little as I felt the weight way more than I should have, but didn't dare to look, and passed to the attack too, careful as not to fall in sight of the others. The battle went on, but not for long. All of us were pretty pumped up by now.

"Each of the demons in the Earl's army are condemned souls!" declared Lavi.

"We couldn't save any of them" added Lenalee.

"So we will fight!" exclaimed Krory.

"To atone for our failures and save those we can still save!" I yelled, cutting through the last ones.

"Pitiful demons, let your souls go in peace" concluded Allen.

The last Akuma exploded, and I smiled as I landed on the ground, and instantly deactivated my Innocence. However, the sudden movement caught Lavi's eyes, who was by my side the next second, eyes narrowed.

"Hey, Bookboy" I tried to play it natural. "Blew off some steam there?"

"Show me your Innocence" he ordered, not fooled.

"What? I don't…"

I stopped at his unwavering glare, and sighed heavily, understanding I wouldn't win that one.

"Innocence: activate"

Lenalee gasped, placing an hand to her mouth, and the boy's eyes widened, which made me frown.

"Come on, it can't be that…"

My voice caught in my throat. My wings were lying on the ground, barely hanging to my back, and almost all of the feathers were rotten. I could feel my healing abilities trying to patch it up, but there was too much poison for it to work properly.

"Right" I cringed. "It's the Akuma's poison"

"I thought you said you'd be fine!" exclaimed Lenalee, horrified.

"I thought I'd be too!" I tried to defend myself. "It just… I didn't know it was _this_ bad, okay?"

"Krory, do you think you can suck out some of the poison?" asked Lavi, frowning at my state.

"I could try" nodded the man.

Understanding I wouldn't be able to weasel my way out of this one, I sat on the ground while he crouched behind me. I stiffened a little when he bite, and he quietly apologized, not stopping his work.

"You should have told us" scolded Lavi.

"I thought…"

"You always think you'll be fine, Ary, and that's the problem!" he exclaimed, waving his hands in the air. "You can't _always_ be fine! Your body and your Innocence got limits too and if you keep pushing them, you might very well die in the upcoming battles! It's not a joking matter!"

"I know that!" I exclaimed, annoyed. "And I know my limits just fine! There was just more poison than I thought, no big deal!"

"It's never a big deal with you!" he yelled back. "But get that into your thick skull once and for all: you're not alone! We're your friends and we're fighting with you and sometimes, you can't do everything by yourself so take your fucking advice, you god damn hypocrite, and learn to relies on us too!"

Heavy silence ensued as we held angrily each other's gaze, none of us backing down.

Then, I sighed again.

"Okay, okay, I get it" I grunted.

"Good" he grunted back. "Because I swear, I'd-"

"Done"

I looked back at my wings as Krory got up, wiping away some poison with his sleeve. My Innocence already seemed a lot better than before. The feathers that couldn't be saved had fallen, and were already being replaced by new ones while the others healed slowly, but surely.

"Thanks, Buffy!" I beamed at him.

"You're welcome" he smiled gently back.

Wanting to stand up, I lost my balance and fall back on my rear. I then realized that while the poison had been drained, some of my blood went away with it. I waved off Krory, who was about to apologize once more, and lifted my arms to Lavi with a silent command. He scoffed.

"As if" he refused.

"Lavi" I said, half seriously. "I'm your friend. And I'm currently injured. You told me to rely on you, didn't you?"

He huffed, but let me climb on his back nowadays, vanquished, and I deactivated _Angel_ with a victorious smirk.

"Using my own words against me" he mumbled, getting back up.

"Aw, you know you love me" I retorted, poking his cheek.

He simply rolled his eyes, making me laugh, and I snuggled into his back.

"Thanks, Bookboy" I muttered.

"Any time, Tenshi" he answered quietly.

"Let's go now!" said Allen. "We have to find my Master and turn the tide of this war"

"Yeah!"

"Right you are"

"Indeed"

"Just get a move already, morons" I mumbled.

They laughed at that, and I smiled.

They really were great friends.

* * *

 **So, this chapter is a little more heavy than the rest, but it was the perfect moment to show Ary's own set of mind on this matter. She fights, but feels defeated about not being able to save them despite her promise -or rather lack of- back in Barcelona.**

 **Question: When will Aryane cry? Because, obviously, it has to happen sooner or later. So, when do you think is the best moment for it to happen?**

 **Reviews, reviews, reviews, PLEASE!**


	14. Blame The Cat

**Here goes the next chapter! I post so much because I like posting, and I'm bored, so whatever.**

 **Answer: Not telling! That'd be a spoiler, but know that it _will_ happen. Also, I'm kind of proud of that part, so I really can't wait for whoever reads this story to read said part.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Of course it fucking rains… why wouldn't it? It's a dark, cold, windy, night, the ferry isn't running, and we can't find a place to stay so _of_ _course_ it has to rain… whom are we kidding? The fucking logic of life…" I mumbled under my breath.

"Ary, stop whining and help us search for an inn" Lavi rolled his eyes.

"I swear this is karma" I retorted, rubbing my arms. "For whatever sin I made, honestly"

"And to think that we're so close to Cross Marshall too…" deflated Krory.

"Just come on, you two" the redhead started pulling us behind him. "Let's just meet back with Allen and Lenalee and see if they found anything"

"Twenty bucks they didn't" I muttered bitterly.

"Deal. Now let's move, or we're going to get sick"

I snorted at that. I _never_ got sick, whatever the conditions. Gotta love _Angel_ , seriously. However, I couldn't say the same for the others. For only answer, my friend whacked the back of my head, and we quickly met back with the other two.

"Found anything?" asked Allen when we reached them.

"All the lodges are full" answered Lavi.

"What about you?" I asked.

"Same" they shook their heads.

"Damn it" Lavi handed me twenty bucks, which I put in my pocket with a smirk.

"It looks as though we really will have to sleep outside tonight" remarked Krory.

Everyone looked down, trying to find a solution even if it was obvious there wasn't. Suddenly, the sound of a bell echoed. In one movement, we all turned to see a black cat in the middle of the street. I sneered its way.

"We're in the middle of a fucking crisis, and _of course_ we need a cat with that" I spat. "I'll bet it's it's fault it's raining like that"

"Don't be so hateful, Tenshi, it's just a cat" snorted Lavi.

"Poor thing, it's soaking wet" said sadly Lenalee.

"And we aren't?" I retorted. "Just leave it be and get the hell out of here"

She didn't listen, though, and went to meet _it_. When she crouched before it, though, it ran a few meters away, before facing us again and meowing.

"I think he's leading us somewhere" Allen pointed out.

"In this weather, I'd settle for any lodging that'll get us out of the rain" admitted Lavi.

Then, he started running after it.

"Hey, wait for us!"

"Oi, Bookboy! The hell do you think you're doing!?" I yelled, not moving an inch.

"Lavi!" Allen started running after him.

"Guys!" Lenalee was now on their trail.

"A-are you coming, Ary?" asked Krory.

"Don't really have a choice" I grunted.

So we followed. Of course we follow the black devil.

Why wouldn't we?

* * *

"See, told you it was a good idea" grinned Lavi as we finally managed to find an inn.

I huffed, twisting my hair to get some water out, and my nose started prickling.

"Oh hell n- 'tchi!"

There was a moment of silence, before the others burst in laughter.

"It's not-n-not- 'tchi!- not f-funn- 'tchi!- not funny!" I sniffed.

"What is the matter?" questioned Krory with an amused glint in his eyes.

Lavi swung an arm around my shoulders as I sneezed again.

"Dear Tenshi here…" he paused dramatically. "Is allergic to cats! And isn't she cute? She really look like a wet baby bird!"

"I- tchi!- I hate y-y- 'tchi!- you" I grumbled, rubbing my eyes. "And I-I-I- 'tchi! 'tchi! 'tchi!- I- 'tchi!-"

"Welcome"

We turned to the newcomer as the prickling sensation only worsened. Understanding it was the woman, I backed away and sat heavily on the bench, doing my best to contain my sneeze fits. At the same time, Lavi's eyes widened, and everyone shook there head, knowing what would happen.

"STRIKE!"

"Of fucking- 'tchi!- fucking c-course- 'tchi!" I grunted, facepalming.

"Knew it…" sighed Allen and Krory.

"She's totally my type!" exclaimed dreamily the redhead.

"He's got a-a- 'tchi!- a type? I thought he w-w- 'tchi!- he went after any- 'tchi!- anything with a s-skirt- 'tchi!" I remarked to the others.

"Excuse me, but do you have a room available for tonight?" asked Lenalee.

"We're begging you!" added Bookman Jr with pleading eyes. "We're trapped here in the pouring rain!"

He must have tried to look cool or something, but it didn't really work, if the disinterested look she sent his way was anything to go by.

"Keep t- 'tchi!- keep trying, B-Bookboy" I falsely cheered his efforts to woo her.

"Trapped, you say?" she repeated softly.

She then laid down two keys on the counter.

"I can only provide you with sparse accommodations, since my mother and father are both away" she said.

"Yatta!" cheered Lavi. "By the way, I haven't catch your name"

"That's 'cause s- 'tchi!- she didn't g-g-g- 'tchi!- gave you o-one!" I cackled between my sneezes.

"My name is Lulubell" she presented herself.

He took her hands in his, still not letting go of his playboy tendencies.

"Thank you, Lulubell Thank you so!"

I rolled my eyes and the others exchanged sheepish smiles.

Of course Lavi would be head over heels for the blonde beauty, whom were we kidding?

"Tchi!"

I fucking hate these beasts.

* * *

We stared at our plates, mouth agape. This…

"Even for sparse accommodations, this is disappointing…" Allen trailed off.

"I n-n- 'tchi!- need f-food- 'tchi! Damn it!" I banged my head on the table.

"We've practically forced her to take us in, try not to whine about it" scolded Lenalee.

"That's right" nodded Lavi. "This nice warmed milk will warm our soaked bodi-"

He spat the milk, and Krory seemed even more depressed.

"It's cold milk…"

"You k- 'tchi!- know what? I- 'tchi!- I think I'll just g-g- 'tchi!- go back to m-my room al- 'tchi!- already" I sniffed, getting up. "Try to wa-warm up a- 'tchi!- a little"

They bid goodnight, and I quickly went back to the room I shared with Lenalee, sneezing violently on the way.

Stupid cat.

* * *

My stomach grumbled rather loudly once again, making me wince.

"Sorry" I mumbled to Lenalee, whom I knew wasn't able to sleep because of the sound.

"It's fine" she waved it off the nth time. "Your allergies calmed down?"

"Yeah, I feel better now" I nodded.

There was a loud rumble again but, this time, it wasn't me. I choked on my laughter.

"And that would be Kiddo" I snorted. "Poor guys"

"I don't think we'll…"

She stopped talking, gazing at the window with a frown.

"Jumper, what…"

And suddenly, said window exploded. I was sent flying against the wall, but managed to stop my fall somewhat by using _Angel_.

"Akumas!"

"Innocence: activate!" she called, rapidly destroying it. "Let's find the others, quick!"

We flew outside, just in time to see the guys destroying three of their owns.

"Everyone alright?" I asked, scanning the area.

"Yeah, we… Lulubell!" remembered Lavi, running back inside.

"Shit" I cursed, going after him.

We checked all the rooms, in vain. The inn had been half-destroyed in the attack, and the woman was nowhere to be seen.

"It's as if she vanished!" said Allen.

"Where could she have gone?" asked Lenalee.

"Could the demons have gotten her?" Krory looked down.

"If they did, it wasn't here" I shook my head. "No dust nor clothes. My guess is that she managed to flee and-and-a- 'tchi!"

At the same moment, a little bell echoed, and we all turned to see the cat in the doorframe.

"Great, just what we- 'tchi!- we needed" I grunted, my allergies resurfacing.

"Be grateful, he's the one that lead us here" remarked Lavi.

"I still don't l-l- 'tchi!- like it" I shrugged.

At the same moment the devilish beast walked out, and I sighed in relief.

"Let's just search for her" said Lenalee.

We nodded, and went out.

* * *

So, for around an hour or so, we searched through the whole city under the pouring rain, with no rest or food in the stomach. Now checking the inn once again with Lenalee, I did my best to suppress my sneezes as we snooped around a little.

"Ary!"

"Did you found some-some- 'tchi!- something?"

"The picture! Lulubell isn't the same person as the one in the pictures!" she shoved said picture in my face. "And Allen's eye would have reacted if she was an Akuma!"

"Noah! It's a s- 'tchi!- set up!" I realized. "We've got to f-f- 'tchi!- find the others!"

"Right!"

We ran outside in hope of finding our males companions in time. It didn't take long, seeing as a whole bunch of Akumas were all gathering and firing at the same place over and over again. Lavi and Krory were fighting them, but Allen was nowhere to be seen.

"Find Kiddo, I got the others!" I yelled to Lenalee.

"Got it!"

She flew towards another mass of Akuma, farther away, and I sliced in two the one that was about to shoot Lavi in the back. I posed on the ground and place my back against his as they surrounded us.

"Finally joining the fun?" he winked.

"Have you found Lulubell?" I asked, my voice even.

"Yeah, Allen went with her…"

"Damn it" I grunted. "Feathered blades!"

Three exploded, and Krory destroy two others.

"She's a Noah" I told them. "This was all a trap, and the black devil was probably helping her!"

"Don't bring the cat into this" he rolled his eyes, still serious somewhat. "Where's Lenalee?"

"She went after Kiddo" I answered. "Let's finish them off and go help out"

"I got it!" he assured, waving his hammer. "Get away!"

Knowing better than to disobey when he was like that, Krory and I went to sit on the edge of a rooftop nearby.

"Innocence, second level: activate! Hell Fire Cyclone!"

I watched in awe as the ring of dangerous flames destroyed all the Akumas around. I've always liked fire. Seeing my expression from down there, Lavi grinned and shook his head.

"Pyromaniac" he scoffed when we joined back.

"Failed womanizer" I retorted. "Seriously, do you always go for the 'blonde and evil' standards? No offence, Krory"

"None taken" he assured with a small smile.

"I don't- I'm just-" he spluttered.

"Let's just find the other two" I cut, going by airway.

* * *

Running, we made it less then a minute later and found our two friends facing off with Lulubell, who now had her Noah appearance.

"You're a Noah?" called Allen. "One of Road Kamelot's ilk?"

"Well, obviously" I muttered under my breath.

Lavi whacked me behind the head, and she stared impassively at us for a moment, before walking away into an alley.

"Wait!"

She stilled, and I took a step forward.

"Are you the Noah wh- 'tchi!- who killed the E-E-E- 'tchi!- Exorcist Daisya Barry?" I asked coldly, trying to keep my cool despite the sneezing.

She gauged me for a moment, before shaking her head in a negative motion and disappearing into the alley. Running after her, we only found an empty street. Well, except for the black cat that just scratched rather violently the white haired boy's cheek. I stepped away, sending a disgusted snarl at the malevolent beast.

"See?" I seethed, backing away behind Lavi and Krory's backs. "Evil, evil, little t-t-t- 'tchi!- thing. Damn it!"

The others simply laughed at my apparent disdain for the animal as it ran away without a glance back.

* * *

In the end, we just went back to the inn to get our things and decided to sleep once on the boat. We were now standing on the dock, waiting for the departure.

"Our journey's about to get a lot tougher with another Noah on our trail" Lavi remarked.

"Otherwise said, we've got to find the stupid womanizer and bring him back as quickly as possible" I sighed, a little annoyed by this new threat.

I mean, couldn't things be simple for once?

"Then, onward to Asia!" proclaimed Krory.

I snorted at his solemn expression.

"But, Crow-chan, what if there are enemies stowed away on the boat?" replied the redhead.

The older Exorcist instantly deflated at his words, making Lenalee giggle, and I shook my head with a small smile.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Lavi tried to take back his words. "As far as I can see, there aren't any! Well, I think, at least…"

I turned to Allen, who hadn't uttered a word for some time now.

"You okay, Kiddo?" I asked quietly enough that the others didn't heard.

"Lulubell… a new Noah…" he simply said, looking down.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of it" I beamed at him, patting his head. "We're just that awesome. Well, except Lavi, he's so-so, but…"

"Hey!"

My words finally managing to get Allen to smile, I smile back, ignoring the nudging thought that he was right to be worried.

After all, I was too.

* * *

 **So, to make things clear: I LOVE CATS! I'm a cat person, okay? And honestly, I have no idea whatsoever as to why I made Ary allergic to them. I just found it funny to write. As for why her Innocence doesn't heal the allergies, well, I just go by the idea that you can't exactly "heal" an allergy.**

 **Question: Do you like the idea of Aryane's allergies? I never had any allergic reactions before, so I'm not sure if I made her reactions right. I know some would have a dry throat or eyes, or things like that, but we'll just keep her at the sneezing level. Is it okay?**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Divide To Conquer

**Still nothing to do except to post these chapters, so here's the fifteenth!**

 **Answer: Well, depends on everyone, right?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Lenalee sighed in content.

"Just a little hop on the other side of the channel and everything feels so oriental!" she remarked.

"An oriental feeling indeed" Lavi sipped on his tea.

"I still can't understand how any of you can drink these things" I sighed, scrunching my noise at the heavy smell.

"You're one to talk, always drinking hot chocolate" my girl friend pointed out.

"That is _so_ not the same" I refuted.

The snickered at my outraged face, and Allen munched on his bread, thinking.

"According to Timcanpy, Master is headed further east" he said.

"Further east? Like India or China?" asked Lenalee, frowning a little.

The redhead hit the table, a dark cloud looming over his form and his unique eye glinting in madness.

"Exactly _how_ far has Cross Marshall gone?" exclaimed Lavi, his traits borderline maniac looking.

"Bookboy, your crazy is showing" I calmly sipped on my delightful chocolate heaven.

"Well, the world's a big place, right?" chuckled nervously Allen.

"I'm going to punch him really, really hard, no matter how far I have to go" I piped in once more.

"Truly, the world is a big place indeed!"

We turned to Krory, and I choked on my hot drink seeing him struggling to eat… whatever he was eating. The others blinked at him, slightly taken aback.

"Well… it'll be a good occasion for Crow-chan to gain some street smarts" Lavi said.

"Be nice!" I whacked his arm.

There was a loud 'THUD' and we turned to Krory once again, only to find him lying on the floor.

"Okay, maybe you're right" I relented with a small smile. "We're going to have to keep him in check"

The others just nodded, helping him up, and we finished our meal before heading to find our hotel.

* * *

"Are you the members of the Black Order we were expecting?"

"That'd be us" I nodded, shaking the hand of the manager of the hotel.

"Good, good. We've prepared your rooms. Let us show you the way"

"Thank you very much" smiled Lenalee.

"We'll finally be able to get some rest!" sighed dreamily Lavi.

"I don't know, I think I'll go explore the city some more" I shrugged.

"Eh, where's Krory?"

At Allen's question, we gazed around, only to understand that we lost our dear vampire. Well, so much for resting and exploring.

* * *

"He's such a handful, sometimes" groaned Lavi.

"And with the new Noah on our trail at that" added Allen.

My blood froze. What if that damn woman got to Krory before us?

"I hope he's okay" muttered Lenalee. "I don't want to loose anymore friends…"

I shot a glare to the boys, who had frozen in fright at the idea of Lenalee crying again.

"God, grow some balls, you two" I scoffed. "Lenalee, nothing will happen. We're too cool to go down to the hands of Bookboy's woman…"

"Oi!"

"Oh, right, she wasn't interested to begin with" I remembered with a grin. "My bad"

"That's just mean" he pouted.

"Truth hurts" I simply shrugged. "And you've got to admit that you asked for it"

"I-"

"Guys, let's just move" sighed Allen as Lenalee giggled softly behind us.

Seeing her smile again, I exchanged a discreet high five with the Bookman, before we headed back into the city.

* * *

In the end, we found out that Krory had left the city. When I finally spotted him by hairway, trapped with Level Two and another female figure, I held nothing back.

"Hey, bitch! Hands off my mate!" I screeched, aiming my feet at her face.

She backed away, avoiding my attack, while Allen cut off Krory's bindings. Lavi sent one of the Level Two fly away with his hammer and Lenalee kicked the other.

"You okay, Buffy?" I asked, kneeling besides him.

"I am, thank you for saving me" he nodded gratefully.

"Of course we came" I grinned, patting his back.

"Uh, two of me?"

Hearing my friend's voice, I turned with the others and saw… two Lenalee? At the same time, my nose started prickling again.

"What the h-h-hell- 'tchi!-?"

"Exactly my thoughts" nodded Lavi. "And why are you sneezing again?"

"N- 'tchi!- no idea!" I groaned.

"That one's fake!" Allen pointed out.

"No shit" I snapped at him.

"Is it a demon in Lenalee's form?" asked the redhead.

"No, human" the cursed boy shook his head. "But who is it?"

I gaped for a few seconds, bewildered at their stupidity.

"Uh, hello? Dangerous new Noah out to kill us?" I remembered.

But none of them listened as the fake made her move and placated the real Lenalee. They started struggling, trying to outpower each other, but managed to get mixed up in the meantime. Seeing as the guys were utterly useless in the situation…

"Lenalee's fighting with Lenalee!"

"Crap! Which is the real one!?"

"My eye can only reveal Akumas!"

"She's human? But which one?"

Like I said, utterly useless. So I've decided to step in –while sneezing, might I add-. However, before I could make my move, the two Akumas from sooner jumped in, taking one each and running in opposite direction.

"Just what w-we- 'tchi!- we fucking needed" I snarled, activating my Innocence. "Kiddo, Buffy, after Spider- tchi!- Spiderman! Bookboy and I'll take S- 'tchi!- Scorpio!"

"Hai!"

* * *

I flew at high speed, Lavi following on his hammer. The fresh air managed to clear my lungs a bit, and I could breath normally again.

"Think we got the good one?" he asked, getting to my height.

"Gut feeling" I frowned. "Nothing extraordinary. You good to go?"

"Any time" he nodded.

Our Akuma popped out of the sand, still running, with a smirk placated on it's face.

"Hey, are we going to keep this up for a while?" call the redhead.

Its eyes widened slightly. Apparently, it wasn't planning on us to follow it so easily.

"Go for it"

"Roger that" he grinned.

Then, he started hitting the weapon with his gigantic hammer, barely missing each time and creating holes along the way.

"It looks like a big game of whack-a-mole" I pointed out with a cruel grin. "You never knew how to play that game"

"Just shut up" he grunted, missing again.

I shrugged, eying the ground in search of a pattern of some sort. If I could just hit once with my blades… Lavi stopped hitting, letting the sand settle down.

"I can't keep hitting like this" he remarked.

"I need three seconds" I said, landing next to him. "Think you're up to it?"

"If I can't, I'll buy your next lunch" he proposed.

"Are you asking me out?" I lifted an eyebrow, amused.

"Do you want to?" he grinned back.

"As long as I get free food" I shrugged.

"So cruel" he sighed. "But let's finish this. You're ready?"

"And you?"

He smirked, then started waving his hammer as I flew higher.

"Hell Fire Cyclone!"

The flaming tornado forced the Akuma into the open, and Lenalee was freed. Lavi jumped and caught her, before clearing the way. The demon narrowed it's eyes, the sun blinding it's view, but it was already too late.

"Innocence, second level: Feathered Blades Storm!"

All at once, my blades shot towards the Akuma, piercing it from everywhere. In a snarl, it exploded as I plummeted to the ground. Lavi caught me a second later, and delicately landed back on the earth. In a heavy sigh, I deactivated my Innocence, and let myself fall next to Lenalee.

"What was that?" he asked, lifting his eyebrow.

"Second level" I shrugged. "I won't be able to use _Angel_ for a while, though. Two or three days, at most"

"I could have taken care of it" he pointed out.

"But I wanted to try my new attack!" I whined.

He shook his head, before sitting on the other side of Lenalee. I gazed at her in worry, seeing as she was still unconscious. However…

"Real or fake one?" asked quietly Lavi.

She suddenly stirred and opened her eyes.

"Lenalee?" he called.

"L-Lavi?"

"Hey, Jumper. Do you have some tea in your bag?" I asked innocently.

"T-tea?" she frowned, looking at me. "Why? You hate tea…"

"Okay, that's the real one!" I beamed, hugging her.

Lavi chuckled, relaxing his pose.

"The real…" she repeated, a little lost.

Then, her eyes widened.

"The fake! We have to help Allen and Krory!" she struggled to get up, but I pushed her down when she threatened to collapsed.

"The Scorpion Akuma pierced you, didn't he?" asked Lavi, frowning.

"No, it's not that bad" she shook her head. "We have- we have to…"

She fall once again, and I examined her wound while she kept on arguing with Lavi.

"It's pierced alright" I frowned, seeing the little whole in her stomach. "Bookboy, do you know some first aid? I'm not good at this stuff"

"The Old Panda taught me some" he nodded.

"But Allen and Krory…" she tried once again.

"Jumper, I can't go to them because I used up all my Innocence" I cut her off. "Bookboy can't go either because seeing as you and I are both in no fighting condition, that'll leave us to the mercy of other Akumas and Lulubell. So, we're going back to the hotel where he will treat your wound and you will get some rest while I gain back my energy"

"Tenshi's right, Lenalee" smiled Lavi gently. "They'll be fine, okay? We're just going to meet back once we're all able to, okay?"

She eyed us for a moment, before sighing.

"Okay"

"Good" I got up. "Let's go"

* * *

We were back to our hotel, settled in our room and Lenalee lying sick on one of the beds.

"I'm sorry…"

"We got that the first twelve times, Jumper" I rolled my eyes. "Stop apologizing for nothing, you sound like an idiot"

Lavi whacked my arm.

"Be nice" he warned.

"But…"

"Where are Allen and Krory?" she asked, a little out of it.

"Still not back" the redhead shook his head.

"Then let's go look for them" she proposed for the nth time.

"I'm sure they're fine" I smiled reassuringly at her. "They're probably just lost or something like that. They'll contact us once they get their hands on a phone"

"Plus, healing yourself and getting Tenshi's energy back are what matters now" added Lavi.

"I feel so loved" I sighed dramatically. "But didn't you say Ji-ji had to join us? Let's just meet up with him and rendezvous with the other two later"

"That's true" she looked away. "The way things stands, I'll just drag both of you down"

"Are you delirious or something?" I gently poked her forehead. "You've got a _hole_ in your _stomach_ , and probably a little poison mix with it. As for me, I can't even _activate_ my Innocence. I'm worried too, okay? But blaming ourselves for something we have no control whatsoever on is plainly stupid and takes way too much energy. They'll be fine, you'll heal, I'll get back _Angel_ in shape and then we're going to be together again, no big deal, okay?"

She smiled at me, and nodded, before drifting to sleep. Once she was lost in dreamland, I sighed and let my head fall on Lavi's shoulder.

"You should rest too" he said in a low tone.

"I'm not tired" I refused.

And it was true. However, he didn't seem to believe, because he suddenly got up and, next thing I knew, I was in his arms.

"L-Lavi! Put me down!" I whispered as loud as I could.

He did. Well, more like he threw me on the second bed, before heading for the door.

"You sleep" he said sternly when I made a move to get up. "We'll need all the strength we can get tomorrow, and if I see you up…"

He didn't finish, but the glint in his eyes made me gulp in fright, and I nodded quickly before pulling to covers on me.

"'Night!"

He chuckled, and left the room.

Once he was gone, I sighed again. That would be a long night.

* * *

"… Lenalee's in bad shape! She was hit by an Akuma's attack and has a persistent fever. The doctors have given up. Ji-ji, she needs your help!"

There was a moment of silence, before the redhead handed me the phone with a scowl.

"Hey, Ji-ji" I greeted.

"Aryane" he answered. "You seem more level-headed than my stupid apprentice. Can you tell me more about Lenalee's condition?"

"Poison, without a doubt" I assured. "The Akuma looked like a scorpion. We can put Akuma's natural poison in the mix too, I smell it from here. Her wound isn't closing, her fever is higher and higher, and we can only do so much to slow down the effects"

"I see. What about you? Lavi told me about your second level. It is quite dangerous to perform it in the middle of such a crisis…"

I cringed at the barely hidden reproach.

"I know, I know. I eat a lot to help _Angel_ regenerate faster" I assured.

"And sleep?"

I opened my mouth, before biting my lower lip.

"I… no. I ran out of _it_ just before we left to find Cross"

"I'll have some ready then. Right now, you three have to leave immediately, though"

"What are you talking about? We can't move Lenalee" I refused, frowning.

"You're being targeted" he retorted. "They did not replicate miss Lena merely to escape your attack. It is likely that they intended to divide you"

I gasped as the evidence hit me like a bag of bricks, alerting Lavi at my side.

"I don't think demons are capable of thinking up such a plan themselves" added Bookman. "There's someone else behind it, someone smart…"

"Noah" I cut, rubbing my temple. "The new one would be my guess. Her name's Lulubell. She's been after us for a few days now"

I heard the redhead curse in the background, but I shushed him up.

"I believe so too" confirmed the old man. "With you and miss Lena unable to fight, they will most definitely come at you. Get out of there quickly, Ary"

"Got it. See you later" I sighed, before hanging up.

"What's happening?" asked Lavi.

"They were trying to divide us, Lulubell is behind it, and they're going after us now" I resumed, quickly packing my things. "We've got to leave now. With only you in fighting capacity, we won't stand much of a chance if they decide to attack"

He nodded and went to Lenalee's side to get her up. As he hauled her on his back, I picked up her bag and his, plus mine, Allen's and Krory's, before we headed out as discreetly as possible.

* * *

Sitting behind Lenalee, who was sitting behind Lavi, we were using his hammer to get most of the distance done faster than at foot. Now, height was never a problem for me. I've always knew I could rely on _Angel_ to save my ass. However, being so high with no safety belt, if I can say it that way, was _not_ a fun experience.

"We're going down!" warned Lavi.

I closed my eyes, my hold on Lenalee tightening slightly as we returned to the ground. As soon as my feet touched the forest's floor, I sighed happily.

"I'm not doing this again" I grunted, putting the three bags on my back.

"What, scared of heights?" asked Lavi, clearly mocking me.

"As if" I scoffed. "Let's just mo- get down!"

Hiding in the bushes, we managed to avoid being spotted by a lone Level one.

"Akuma, just like Ji-ji said" whispered the boy.

"We've got to be careful" I frowned.

I glanced behind us, where Lenalee was already panting.

"We should avoid fighting as much as possible" I said quietly.

"Agreed" he nodded. "Let's move"

* * *

"I'm sorry, we can't ride the hammer in such a narrow cavern" apologized Lavi as we walked through the canyon.

"It's fine, I can walk" assured Lenalee.

"I should be the one to apologize" I grunted, a meter ahead of them. "If I didn't used this stupid attack, we wouldn't have to fear so much Akuma attacks. I-"

"KYAAAAAAAAAA!"

The scream echoed loudly.

"Stay here!" ordered Lavi, running ahead.

I went to Lenalee's side and crouched by her, tense, ready to fight if I needed to. There was a small explosion and, a few seconds later, Lavi came back with a young girl in a maid outfit, who was jumping around like crazy.

"Bookboy!" I called. "Who's your, err… friend?"

He just shrugged. Then, he seemed to understand something from her blabbering, because he stopped her.

"What do you mean, you're coming with us?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at that.

"Right! The more, the merrier, they say, isn't it?" she beamed at him. "We're going the same direction of the canyon anyway. Let me accompany you until then, at the very least"

"No way, turn back" he refused flatly. "Do you want to end up in the same situation we found you in?"

"I'm a maid, you see" she tried. "I wish to serve you, at least until we get to the village"

She was acting so suspicious it made me sick. However, she seemed determined. I exchanged a glance with Lavi, who seemed to reach the same conclusion as I: she was coming with us, whether we liked it or not.

"Well" I shrugged, piping in. "I could use some help with transporting the bags"

"Fine, fine" he sighed. "But just until we leave the canyon, okay?"

"Thank you! You have my pledge to serve you: body, soul, breasts and nose!"

I sweatdropped a little as she hugged Lavi, laughing happily.

Yep, I was going to keep an eye on her. No one could be that cheerful naturally.

* * *

"Let me help some more!" she pleaded once again.

"You're already transporting t-t-t- 'tchi!- three of the bags" I pointed out, sniffing.

"But I want to help more! Here, I'll do this!" she started fanning the redhead.

"I'm fine! Fan Lenalee" Lavi sighed.

"Hai!"

She switched place, and Lenalee smiled gently at her. I sneezed again. Damn allergies. Where the hell do they come from anyway?

"Thank you"

"You're not looking terribly well" the maid remarked. "Don't you think we should take a break?"

"I'll be fine" refused Lenalee. "I just-"

"It's a g-g- 'tchi!- good idea, actually" I cut, narrowing my eyes as she struggled not to collapse. "My legs are r- 'tchi!-really sore, so I need a-a-a- 'tchi!- a break too"

"Let's rest for a while" accepted Lavi.

I then sat next to my friend against the wall of the canyon while Lavi went to the stream to get some water, and started eating a chocolate bar.

"How are –'tchi!- you feeling?" I asked, worried.

"Tired" she admitted. "But I'll be-"

"I swear, if y-y-y- 'tchi!- you say one more time that 'you'll be fine' I'm going t-t- 'tchi!- to shove my chocolate down your throat" I threatened, waving the delicious bar in her face.

She chuckled a little, then started coughing.

"Jumper!"

"I'm fi- I'm alright" she corrected herself, making me glare a little.

There was a little scream, and I looked back at Lavi, only to see him gripping the Mimi's wrist, which was _way_ too close to his hammer for my liking. However, knowing I could always be wrong, I've decided to just keep an eye out for her.

* * *

We had walked for a few more hours before stopping for the night. Lenalee's situation wasn't one of the best, and her fever was back in full force. If we didn't reach Bookman before tomorrow night…

I shook my head. I'd be damned before she died just because we weren't fast enough.

My eyes gazed around on our camp site, and I scrunched my nose at the maid when se wasn't looking. She had been acting suspicious all day, always getting uncomfortably close to Lavi's hammer, and she had a gaze that screamed 'EVIL PLOTTING' each five minutes.

Night fell soon enough, and I was forced to bed by Lavi once more. However, I didn't sleep, listening to the conversation he had with Lenalee. She was apologizing once again, which made me roll my eyes, and I was keeping watch on Mimi, who herself was listening to them with a weird look on her face.

I shifted to get more comfortable, refraining a sneeze. That was going to be a long night.

Again.

* * *

The next day, I've felt much better than I had for the two past days. A few more hours and I'd be back in top shape. However, I kept that to myself. Mimi was acting even weirder than before, and I didn't want to alert her that I was able to fight. I had the element of surprise for now, which was a big plus in our situation.

Lenalee's case only worsened, and Lavi was forced to take her on his back while I took the bags along with the maid. Now walking in a narrower space, I was at the front of the line, my two friends behind me, and Mimi at the back. I didn't like it. It was even easier for her to make her move when we weren't looking.

"Hey, looks like it's about to rain!" she pointed out.

I raised my eyes to the sky, scowling a little as drops started falling. Seriously, just what we needed. After a few more minutes, there was a weird rumble.

"Ary, Mimi, run!" ordered Lavi, taking the lead.

"Shit!"

I ran after him, Mimi just behind, as the wall fall just where we were a second sooner. Taking shelter in a crack of the wall, we waited for the flow of muddy water and heavy rocks to slow down.

"We'll have t- 'tchi!- to be mo-mo- 'tchi!- more careful" I frowned, going out. "And go qu-qui- 'tchi!- quicker"

"Right"

We picked up the pace a little, but the mud wasn't helping our case. And of course, our situation just had to take the worse turn and the canyon was suddenly overflowed, a massive wave coming at us.

"Protect Jumper!" I yelled.

The next second, the water crashed violently against us, and pain erupted in the back of my head before everything turned black…

* * *

For like, two seconds, really. As soon as the flow passed, I woke up, coughing to get the water out of my lungs. The back of my head was already healing itself, which meant that my abilities weren't focusing on regenerating my Innocence, _which meant_ that I could use it again without any trouble.

"Ary, are you okay?" called Lavi, a few meters away.

"Just fine! What a-a- 'tchi!- about you and J-Jumper?" I asked, getting up.

"We're… we're okay, Ary" answered Lenalee, panting.

"And- Lavi, get back!"

He didn't react in time, though, and Mimi managed to grab his hammer before jumping away with a cackle.

"Mimi!"

"I've got your Innocence!" she exclaimed victoriously.

"You're an enemy?"

"Are you fucking k-k-k- 'tchi!- kidding me?" I yelled his way. "She couldn't have b-b–'tchi!- been more obvious all a- 'tchi!- along!"

"Then why didn't you say something!?"

"I thought you w- 'tchi!- were smart enough to re-re- 'tchi!- realize it, you m-moron!"

"It doesn't matter now" she chanted. "You were caught off guard. Take it!"

She threw the hammer at an Akuma that had arrived, and the weapon flew away with the Innocence. I was about to follow when I suddenly remembered that I was now the only defense Lavi and Lenalee had. Gritting my teeth, I decided to wait for the right opportunity to strike.

"Madam Lulubell is going to destroy it!" cackled the maid.

She then took out her fans as I slowly made my way towards the other two.

"Now then, it's time to clean house! These fans have a mean cutting edge!"

"Feathered Blades!"

She managed to block most of my feathers, but a few managed to scratch her, earning a hiss.

"Ary!" exclaimed Lavi, surprised.

"Run a-a- 'tchi!- ahead with Jumper, I'll take c-care of her" I ordered, falling into a defensive stance. "Go!"

"Right"

He hauled Lenalee on his back once again, before he took off. I then faced the maid.

"So, think you feathers can stand against my fans?" she sneered.

"Let's –'tchi!- find out" I smirked.

She smirk back, then snapped her fans and jumped away.

"Hey!"

As I tried to follow, three other Level Two blocked my way.

"Damn it!"

Knowing I had to get rid of them before going to help my friends, I gritted my teeth and hoped they would last long enough for me to join them.

"Spin Rocket!"

* * *

Once I destroyed the Akumas -rahter quickly, I wasn't in the mood to deal with them-, I took off. As I flew above the canyon to find my two companions, a flaming tornado erupted from the ground farther away.

"Hell Fire Cyclone" I recognized with a smile.

When I finally reached them, Mimi was nowhere to be found, Lavi was unconscious, and Bookman was kneeling besides Lenalee, who seemed worse than before if it was possible.

"Sorry, I was hold up" I apologized, deactivating my Innocence. "Are they okay?"

"Miss Lena needs treatment immediately, and Lavi is simply exhausted" he answered. "Let's go, we're not too far from the hotel"

"Good to hear" I sighed.

* * *

"The treatment is complete. All that's left is to wait for miss Lena's strength to return"

We had reached civilisation once again, and now got a well deserved rest from our misadventures. Bookman had quickly treated our friend, who's colors were already coming back.

"Thank you for everything, Bookman" smiled Lenalee, settling more comfortably on the bed.

"Take care of her, Ji-ji" I smiled too. "Jumper, you better rest well. Same to you, Bookboy"

"I'll do that" he nodded, glancing at his broken arm.

He ruffled my hair before walking at the door.

"Lavi!"

He turned at Lenalee's call.

"Thank you for protecting me" she said.

He simply waved and walked out, making me snicker.

"He thinks he's so cool" grunted his grand-father.

"Don't worry, you're cooler" I grinned.

"I'll tell him that" he nodded with a small smirk.

"Don't tease him too much, he's just being shy" Lenalee defended him.

"Shy? Lavi?" I snorted. "Yeah, when I start acting like a noble Lady"

She laughed softly, and I then left her to rest, Bookman just behind. As soon as he closed the door, he jumped to my height and hit me behind the head. I winced, rubbing the sore spot, as he stared at me with intense eyes.

"I know, I know, I should have been more careful" I looked away.

"I hope you learned your lesson" he nodded. "Also…"

He took out a small bottle, which I took gratefully.

"Thanks, Ji-ji" I said, tucking it in my pocket.

"Use it now" he ordered. "It won't work as well, seeing as you stop using them for a few weeks, but…"

"I'm grateful" I thanked honestly. "I'll go rest some now. Have a good night!"

He nodded, and I walked to my own room, fingering the little bottle. I was about to open it when someone caught my wrist, and I turned a surprise gaze to Lavi.

"Bookboy? What are you doing up?" I asked, instantly hiding the bottle in my back.

"What did Ji-ji gave you?" he asked, frowning.

"Nothing, just some painkillers. My head is killing me" I grunted dramatically.

His frown was still there, sign that he didn't believe me, but he let go anyway.

"G'night" I waved, walking into my room.

"Good night"

Once my door was closed, I sighed heavily. That had been a close one

Too close for my liking, that is.

* * *

 **So, a lot has happened in this chapter. Some of you might think it was stupid from Ary to do that, well... yeah, of course it was. However, just like everyone else, she's still growing and learning to use her Innocence to the best of her abilities. To learn, you have to make mistakes first. That's all I have to say on the matter.**

 **Question: What were the pills Bookman gave to Aryane? Careful, I'm asking why she takes them, but what they are.**

 **Hope you enjoyed that one too!**


	16. The Fortune Teller

**So, entering the Fortune Teller Arc or... whatever it was called. I'm not a big fan of this one, but I still did it, so here it goes. Hope I didn't mess it up...**

 **Answer: They were sleeping pills! I didn't know if I had mentionned them sooner, and they're not that important, to be honest. However, the reason why Ary takes them _is_.**

 **That's all I had to say. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, we had news from Komui, who informed us that Krory and Allen were fine and that they were going to join us soon. So, forced to stay at the hotel, long hours of waiting ensued. Night fall, but I kept watch, a little worried.

* * *

It's only the day after that that they finally made their appearance. However, something wasn't right. Quickly making my way down the street, I finally managed to grasp the extent of their situation.

"Buffy!"

I ran to them, and realized that Allen was unconscious.

"Ary" breathed Krory, apparently relieved.

"You'll explain later, let's get him to Bookman" I said, helping him to transport the white haired boy.

We went back to the hotel, where Bookman took everything in charge while Krory told us what had happened since we parted ways. After that, he went to rest.

We waited.

* * *

"Ah ah, Full House!" I cackled. " _Et tu t'en prends plein la gueule encore une fois! Ah ah, c'est qui la meilleure?"_

Lavi groaned a little, and threw his cards on the floor in annoyance as I kept laughing like a maniac.

"You can't beat me, Bookboy, you know that" I taunted. "Now it's what, seven lunches that you owe me?"

Before he could answer, though, there was a groan from the bed next to us.

"Ugh… where am I?" asked Allen, blinking.

"Lhasa" answered Lenalee, peering over. "Tibet's capital"

"Good to see you alive, Kiddo" I grinned, gathering my cards.

"Lenalee… Ary…" he recognized, looking around. "Did you saved us?"

"It was Buffy, actually" I shook my head with a smile.

He sat up, and Timcanpy flew from my head to his open palm. He then looked around.

"That's right, where _is_ Krory?" he asked.

"I'm right here" informed the vampire look-alike from the other bed. "I'm glad to see you awake"

"You truly owe him your life, Allen" informed Bookman. "If he hadn't used the last of his strength to get the both of you out of the snow before heading here, you two would have long since suffocated"

"Krory… Thank you" Allen bowed his head.

A little embarrassed, Krory looked away.

"We're family" he muttered. "I had no choice in the matter"

At his words, I high fived Lavi, who grinned. Krory was finally considering us his family!

"Anyway, we managed to meet up with one another, so everything ends well"

"And now, we can all set off together" beamed Lenalee.

"Hey guys, I got an idea" I said. "Next time, how about we just _don't_ get separated?"

They chuckled at that, and I sighed happily. We were all back together, all safe and well, and could pursue our journey. However, a thought kept nudging the back of my mind, and I bit my lower lip, playing with my necklace.

We had been lucky this time, but when would that luck run out?

* * *

A day later, we were back on the road. However, said road was long. Very, very long. And very, very hot, too.

Plus, I was hungry.

"We're still not here?" asked Allen, pretty much in the same state as I was. "I'm so hungry…"

A lone cat hissed our way, and I hissed back, making it scramble away in fright.

"Same" I grunted, rubbing my empty stomach.

"Yeah, I know" nodded Lavi. "It's been so long… I need a drink, I'm positively parched!"

"Hang in there, you guys…" Lenalee tried to cheer us up.

"You don't look well either, Jumper" I pointed out.

"We should be there soon" assured Bookman with bands of sweat rolling on his forehead.

He then stopped, gazing ahead. Curious, I looked from my dusted boots and my eyes widened.

"L-Lavi, is that…"

"The town!"

"Town?" repeated Lenalee.

"Food!" I drooled.

"Drinks! Drinks!" cheered the redhead.

He then ran ahead, and I quickly followed, Allen hot on my heels, then Lenalee and Krory running happily behind us.

* * *

"Hey, there's no one" remarked Krory.

I eyed the empty streets, frowning. Had the town's people been wiped out by some Akumas?

"What happened to this place?" asked Allen.

"Could it be a ghost town?" proposed Lenalee.

"Oh no, than what about our cold, frosty beverages?" whined Lavi.

I swatted the back of his head.

"Show some consideration, what if the city had been obliterated by demons?" I scolded.

"It is odd indeed"

We turned to Bookman in a single movement.

"What do you mean?" I narrowed my eyes.

* * *

My worry grew by each step we took into the deserted town.

"From what I've seen, this canal runs the entire breadth of the town. And yet…" Bookman trailed off.

"There's no water in it" completed Allen.

"How can that be?" asked Lenalee.

"The water's dried up"

We lifted our heads to a man, who had just arrived in the street. I glance to Allen but, seeing as his eye didn't react to the newcomer, I allowed myself to relax.

"We're travellers" I said. "Would you mind telling us what's happening here?"

He nodded, and invited us to his home. Settling to his table, he served us food that made me drool. Finally!

"I'm sorry, this is all I have for you" apologized the man, handing us some water.

"It's us who should apologize for intruding like that" I shook my head.

I took a sip, before handing it to Krory.

"Please, dig in" he then said.

"Thank you"

"Itadakimasu"

We started eating, and I felt my stomach ease as it received food.

"You seem to be going through a great deal" remarked Bookman.

"Yes, well, the river's source has drained up" our host answered.

"Source?"

"Yes. There was a great lake not far from here, you see" he precised. "A large river formed from it's overflowing banks. However, one month ago, the lake's water level began to fall. We've been hard pressed to find enough water to drink"

"Okay, now I feel bad" I mumbled, putting down my glass.

"And why did the spring dry?" asked the old panda.

"We've got no idea" he shook his head. "According to those who've gone to investigate, the lake's water continue to recede, even after heavy rains"

"The lake doesn't fill even when it rains?" repeated Lavi, who's attention was now caught.

"That sounds suspicious" I remarked quietly.

"How strange" nodded Krory.

"Could it be a paranormal phenomenon?" proposed my girl friend.

"Innocence" I blinked, following her train of thought.

"It could be a possibility" confirmed Bookman.

"Say, would you mind if we investigate this lake?" asked Allen to our host. "We might be able to gain some insight into the matter"

"And help while we're at it" I added.

He smiled a little, seeming more tired than before.

"Of course. To get there, just head out the gate and to your right, then keep going straight. If only we knew what was causing it, we might be able to do something"

"We'll, let's give it a try" said Lavi, getting up.

* * *

We now stood at the gates. However, another problem surfaced.

"But I want to go!" I whined.

"We don't need four of us to go investigate" Lavi shook his head. "It would be counterproductive"

"Then why don't _you_ stay here and _I_ go, uh?" I poked his chest, annoyed.

"Because… Ji-ji, help me here!"

"Ary, you stay here and investigate the townsfolk with Allen and miss Lena" ordered the grandpa. "And Lavi, if you know you can't win an argument, don't start it. I taught you better than that"

We both huffed and, annoyed, I stomped back into the town.

"Fine, I'll go _investigate_ " I grunted. " _Stupide rouquin…"_

* * *

"Uh, so you got the memo too?" I remarked when Lenalee and Allen finally joined me.

After an hour or so, I had found out about a certain fortune teller, who's predictions –which were always right- add stop around a month ago. At the same time as the drought. And honestly? I'm not a fan of coincidences.

So, I found the house of said fortune teller in hopes to learn more about just exactly what had happened. The timing was too right for it to mean nothing. However, seeing as I didn't want to go alone –the man living there scared the shit out of me-, I had decided to just wait for the others. Oh, I could have found them, sure. However, I wanted them to get the information themselves. Childish, I know, but I was still mad at Lavi.

"How long have you been here?" asked Lenalee.

"A while" I shrugged.

"Hello!" called Allen, knocking on the door. "Is anyone home?"

But only silence answered.

"There's a man there" I assured. "But I don't…"

Before I could finish, the other two pushed open the door, revealing said old man.

"Who are you?" he barked. "Why are you here?"

"W-well, you see…"

"We heard that you've been unwilling to predict the future since the river stopped flowing here…" said Lenalee.

"That's no business of yours!" he raised his walking stick.

Instantly, we ran outside, avoiding the angry swings.

"Please, wait!" pleaded Allen.

"Why have you stopped making predictions?" insisted my friend.

"I don't have to tell you anything" he retorted.

"We're investigating the recent drought, you see" she pursued nowadays. "We just want to- oh, who's that?"

I glanced behind the old man and saw a young girl staring at us with wide eyes.

"That's enough! Get out!" he roughly pushed Lenalee aside.

"You're right, we're sorry for intruding" I apologized quickly. "We won't bother you again, please excuse us"

He huffed, then slammed the door in our faces.

"… what a charming personality" I drawled. "But seriously, does neither of you know how to talk to people?"

They chuckled sheepishly, and I shook my head.

"No matter, we'll find another way" I sighed.

* * *

We had found an inn easily, and I shared the room with Lenalee. Lying on my bed, I was glaring at the ceiling much like I had been doing when we got here.

"You haven't talked when we contacted the others" remarked Lenalee, sitting at the desk. "Are you still mad at Lavi?"

"I wanted to see the lake" I mumbled. "Instead of searching for potential Innocence, we're stuck here to wait for news!"

"You do realize that with Innocence comes Akumas" she pointed out.

"The Innocence is most probably linked to the drought" I retorted. "If there are Akumas here, they'll be at the lake. And seriously, who the hell does he think he is?

I sat up to face her.

"He's all ' _we don't need four of us, it would be counterproductive_ '" I mimicked, making her giggle. "Counterproductive my ass, he just didn't want to stay here either"

"He's older?" she tried.

"He's just a year older" I retorted. "And he's an as-"

There was a knock on the door, and I tensed slightly. Akumas? No, they weren't polite enough to knock. They would just explode a wall or something like that.

"Allen?" called Lenalee, getting to the door.

"Please, let me in!"

I narrowed my eyes a little as the girl we saw sooner entered the room.

"Hello" she greeted. "My name is Mei-Ling. I'm sorry for intruding…"

"My name is Lenalee" smiled my friend, closing the door.

"And I'm Aryane, but just call me Ary" I greeted. "What can we do for you?"

She sat on a chair, biting her lower lip, and my roommate sat next to me.

"You're the fortune teller's granddaughter, right?" she asked.

"Well, actually…" she straightened a bit. "I'm the fortune teller"

"Is that so? I just thought…"

"My grandfather is simply worried about me" the girl shook her head. "That's why he sent you away like that"

"Don't worry about it. Why did you come here?"

"I'm worried about the town" she admitted, looking down. "There's no water! I-I liked all the attention the people gave me as a fortune teller but, now, everyone's in so much trouble…"

"Do you know why the lake dried up?" I shifted in place.

"I- no" she looked down.

"Just great" I grunted, getting up. "I'm heading out for a bit, see if I can find anything more, and maybe scout out the area"

"Be careful" said Lenalee as I walked out.

I simply waved and closed the door behind me.

* * *

Around ten minutes later, Akumas made their way into the city. Knowing Allen would give the alert, I instantly jumped into the fight, itching to blow some steam off.

"Spin Rocket!" I yelled, piercing through five of them.

However, another explosion farther away ensued, and I narrowed my eyes when I realized it came from the inn we were staying at. Seeing as they wouldn't just attack Exorcists because they wanted too, it could only mean…

"Mei-Ling!"

Destroying the weapons while I was at it, I made my way towards the inn, just in time to see a Level Two flying in direction of the lake with the girl between it's claws. I was about to follow but, down below, Lenalee was surrounded by Akumas. I destroyed them, along with Allen, and she jumped after the Level Two. I quickly followed when she was sent away by it's tail, and flew past her as fast as I could as she plummeted to the ground, knowing she's be okay. After all, _Dark Boots_ didn't allowed her to fly per se, but she could easily catch a fall like that one.

"I'm coming" I gritted my teeth, hoping I'd be in time.

* * *

As I caught up to them, we were already at the lake, where Lavi and Krory were fighting a bunch of Akumas while Bookman was nowhere in sight, while a giant vortex swallowing all the water was forming in the middle of the lake.

"… it's the crystal ball you threw in a month ago, we believe it is the Innocence we are searching for" I heard the Level Two say.

So the girl really was a host, uh? But no matter now, I had to get her before they threw her in the lake or something like that. The Level Two started laughing. Apparently, Mei-Ling had said something, but I couldn't here her from here.

"No matter if you admit it or not, we'll know when we drop you in the lake" he cackled.

"I jinxed it" I grunted, picking up the pace.

There was an eruption of flame, but I didn't pay attention, closing in onto the Level Two, which had joined another one. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. It was now or never.

"Feathered Blades!"

Surprised by my sudden appearance, they scattered, effectively avoiding my attack. The one keeping Mei-Ling flew ahead, getting closer to the middle of the lake.

"Aryane!" yelled the little girl.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back.

I was hit into the side rather harshly, which sent my body encounter with a few trees. I hissed as pain flared into my ribs, but shrugged it off at the high-pitched screamed that suddenly echoed.

"NOOO!"

"Mei-Ling!"

Jumping, I flew with only one thought in mind: catching her. However, as I got closer, there was a blinding light. Then, a dome formed, violently rejecting the girl. I finally managed to caught her, and I flew the both of us back to safety, cradling her little body against mine.

"Mei-Ling? Are you alright? Mei-Ling" I shook her.

The ground started shaking as the light became even brighter, and a sudden surge of energy blasted us away. At the last moment, though, something blocked the brutal wave of Innocence, and I sighed in relief when I realized that Lenalee and Allen were here, the last one protecting us with his hand. I landed on the ground, and handed the little girl to Lenalee, before turning to the lake. In the middle, there was a bright sphere that I recognized at the crystal ball, or rather the Innocence.

It was sucking up all the water of the lake too.

"That's my crystal ball" recognized weakly Mei-Ling.

"That's not just a crystal ball" Lenalee refuted.

"It's Innocence" I confirmed. "And you're it's Host"

"Host?" she repeated.

"I'll go check on Lavi and Krory" I frowned, not seeing them around. "Keep an eye on her"

They nodded as Lenalee started explaining the main lines of Innocence, Akumas and Exorcists, and I soon found the other two standing on top of some trees.

"Are you two alright?" I asked, posing on the branch next to Krory.

"We're alright" nodded Krory. "Who is the girl?"

"The Host" I shrugged. "We…"

The ground shook again, and the underground waters joined the party.

"It's getting bigger" frowned Lavi.

"What…"

At the same moment, one of the Level Two from sooner –not the one I was pursuing, though- rose behind us and flew at the crystal ball.

"Now's my chance!" he cheered.

"What an idiot!" exclaimed Lavi, expressing my thoughts.

"An Akuma directly touching pure Innocence" I rolled my eyes as it's arm exploded under the pressure of massive energy. "What a moron"

"NOOO! NO, NO, NO!"

"Mei-Ling" I frowned.

Lavi and Krory following behind, I flew back to them, and saw Mei-Ling wailing and shaking her head in what seemed like denial.

"Allen, Lenalee!" called Lavi, appearing behind me.

"You're okay" the white haired boy sighed in relief.

"What exactly happened?" asked Krory.

"Well…"

We all turned to the little girl, who kept denying who-knows-what.

"Mei-Ling…"

"No! I won't- I won't touch it again! Never!" she kept repeating, frightened.

"Mei-Ling!"

My voice snapped her out of her trance-like state, and she turned glassy eyes at me.

"What did you see?" I asked calmly. "Before throwing it away, you saw something, didn't you?"

Her eyes widened slightly, and she choked down a sob.

"A- a month ago" she croaked. "I saw- I saw a terrible future. It was dark and filled with death and sorrow… I just wanted to tell people's fortune! I only wanted to do something nice for them all! So why? Why!?"

The ball seemed to react at her cries, and it grew even larger as she sobbed.

"All right, that's enough" said softly Lenalee, walking away.

"What does that mean?" asked Krory. "What did she saw?"

"I believe it was her own future" answered Allen.

"But why does she seems so frightened?"

"She's an Innocence Host. What she saw was her future as an Exorcist" replied Lavi. "We all know our paths are dark and stained with blood, but being unable to see to its end is what keeps us sane"

Krory shot me an unsure glance, most probably thinking about our conversation we had on the train when we first recruited him, a few months sooner, but I ignored him and kept a steady gaze on the glowing ball, searching for a solution. A few moments past, before the rock pedestal on which was resting the crystal sphere exploded, and the Innocence fragment elevated above the ground, apparently entering it's final stage.

"This is getting bad!" I yelled above the wind. "We've got to do something, and fast!"

"The Innocence is going berserk!" added Allen.

"How do we stop it?" asked Krory.

"Mei-Ling"

At Lenalee's voice, we turned to the two of them.

"It is possible that much greater pain than what you already saw awaits you" she warned seriously. "Even though, do you wish to continue?"

"Hai" answered honestly the girl.

"Let's do this, then" smiled my friend. "We're all with you"

The girl smiled at that, and Lavi cheered.

"Yatta!" he spin his hammer.

"Let's do it!" exclaimed Allen.

"Let us indeed!" Krory piped in.

"God, always picking the cool lines" I mumbled. "Just get on with it!"

They chuckled at that, and my eyes landed on the Akuma still above.

"Let's just clear the path a little" I proposed. "Lenalee, you get Mei-Ling there. We'll cover your backs"

"Got it" she nodded.

After that, the guys climbed onto Lavi's hammer while I flew next to them towards the Akuma.

"Hey, ugly!" I called.

As it turned around, I kicked it's head while Allen and Krory jumped on it's back.

"Lenalee!" yelled Lavi.

She ran on the extended hammer, before jumping into the sky. They started falling towards the crystal ball, before my friend activated her second level of Innocence, accelerating their course. A second later, everything exploded in a bright light. When I opened my eyes again, Lenalee and Mei-Ling were floating above us while water poured back into the lack.

"I got you now!" yelled Krory, jumping back onto the Akuma.

The other two cheered, but then ran away as a massive wave crashed onto them.

Me?

I just laughed my head off at their faces. The Akumas were destroyed, the water was back, we found the Innocence and we even had a new Exorcist.

I think we're allowed to relax for now.

* * *

"At least we got out alive…" mumbled Lavi, soaking wet as he walked out of the now full lake.

"What an awful night" added Krory, in the same state.

I smiled as the bright sun hit my face.

"Hey, look!"

We did, and saw Lenalee floating above the lake with Mei-Ling in her arms, who herself had now her crystal ball back in hands.

"All's well that ends well" I sighed happily.

"Glad it's over, though" Lavi leaned onto me, using my head as a support.

I frowned, before taking a step away. Seeing as he put his whole weight to lean onto me, he lost his balance and struggled to stay up. I kicked his leg, sending him to fall back into the lake.

"Ary!" he whined, spitting out some water.

"I'm still mad because you made me stay behind" I huffed, crossing my arms. "That'll teach you to try and boss me around"

He rolled his eye at me, before smirking evilly.

"I'm older, though…"

"One year!" I retorted. "It's only one fucking year, so don't…"

"And I'm taller too"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

* * *

 **To clear something, I know that Allen and Krory are actually found in the moutain, but I forgot about that when I wrote this part and then, it was kind of too late to change, so whatever.**

 **French traduction: "And you suck once more! Ah ah, who's the best!?"**

 **"Stupid redhead..."**

 **Question: Mei-Ling is bound to get a nickname from our dear Ary. What will it be?**

 **Reviews are love!**


	17. Loose The Game Before It Starts

**Here goes yet another chapter. Ending the Fortune Teller Ark or whatever it was called. Yes, it was short but, as said precedently, I never really liked that part. So, whatever.**

 **Answer: The nickname, well, you're about to see, ne?**

* * *

We were eating at Mei-Ling's with her grandfather when Lenalee entered the room with a bright smile.

"The Asian branch is sending a group of Finders for Mei-Ling" she announced.

But at that, the little girl looked down, apparently upset that we wouldn't go with her.

"Don't worry, we'll accompany you to your meeting point" I assured.

She brightened at my words and I ruffled her hair.

"That we will" nodded Allen, sipping his tea at my right.

I scrunched my nose at him.

"Get that disgusting substance away from me" I ordered, leaning away.

The others chuckled at my obvious disdain and I sipped my hot chocolate with a huff.

"You'd best pack for your journey, Mei-Ling" proposed Lenalee.

"Right" she got up.

"I'll come and help" I volunteered, following her.

"Thank you"

Leaving the others, we went to her room, where the crystal ball was resting on a table. She picked it up, and I placed an hand on her shoulder.

"That path of an Exorcist is harsh" I said quietly. "But to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. The pain makes us stronger and that strength allows us to do our best in any circumstances. It won't be easy, but you can rely on each and everyone one of us, and I'm glad we can count on you too"

"I'm a bit nervous" she admitted with a smile. "But I feel better with you and Lenalee by my sides"

"Glad to hear it" I grinned. "And don't worry too much, you'll fit in just fine"

"Yeah" she nodded. "I just hope the Order will become as special to me as this town is"

"It won't be" I shook my head with a small smile. "This town, your home… it's special and very precious. Nothing will be able to replace it, ever. However, nothing's against a second home. That's what the Order is for me"

"Then I'll…"

She trailed off, her gaze lingering on the crystal ball in her hands, which was now glowing faintly. She then gasped.

"Mei-Ling?" I slightly shook her shoulder.

"Akumas!" she panted suddenly. "The townspeople are getting attacked!"

"Lead the way!"

* * *

"Everyone!" she exclaimed, running to the three villagers.

"Mei-Ling" greeted an old man.

"You have to get out of here!" she pressed.

They lifted their eyebrows at that as I scanned the perimeter.

"What's the matter?" asked one of them.

At that time, my eyes caught the Akuma in hiding.

"There! Everyone get down!" I exclaimed. "Innocence: activate! Feathered Blades!"

A second later, the weapon exploded, and I deactivated _Angel_.

"It must have been a survivor from our last encounter" I frowned.

Then, I beamed at the young girl.

"That was awesome, Zoltar!" I grinned. "With your Innocence, you'll be able to save even more people!"

Seeing as she wouldn't answer, I fully turned to her, and saw the three villagers surrounding her.

"Are you okay?" I asked, crouching besides her.

"I'm fine" she assured with a smile. "Just a little tired"

"Then we'll go home and you'll get some rest" I said.

"Hai"

She waved at the townspeople, before we went back to her house. On the way, she shot me a curious glance.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You called me 'Zoltar' sooner" she pointed out, apparently confused.

I laughed at her expression, and ruffled her hair.

"You're just too cute" I grinned.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Now back, she had settled on a chair, and seemed kind of tired.

"Yes, thank you" she nodded. "I'm glad we were able to save those people"

"Me too" I stretched a little. "I'll get us some drinks, okay? I'll be back in two"

"Okay"

Going back inside, I only saw Lavi, Bookman and Mei-Ling's grandfather sitting at the table.

"Where are Buffy, Kiddo and Jumper?" I asked.

"They went out to scout the town for any more Akumas" answered the redhead.

"How is Miss Mei doing?" inquired Bookman.

"She seems tired" I admitted, frowning a little. "More than an Host should, at least"

"It seems that her Innocence was fully activated when she threw it in the lake" he replied, thinking. "It must be a grueling task to control it when it's not yet refined. Seeing the future may in itself take a great deal of effort"

"When she becomes an Exorcist, she will constantly be subjected to visions of violence" added more quietly Lavi.

"Without a great strength of body and mind, she may not last long" nodded Bookman, sipping his stupid leaf juice.

"Mei-Ling's predictions have always helped us out" said calmly the grandfather. "She always loved it. It seems that Mei-Ling becoming an Exorcist was unavoidable. Please, protect her for me" he bowed his head.

I placed my hand on his shoulder, and smiled when his eyes met mines.

"We won't let anything happen to her" I assured. "And I won't lie to you, it'll be dangerous. However, seeing as Mei-Ling's abilities aren't on the offensive side, there's a good chance she won't be sent directly on the battlefield. I'll see what I can do for it to happen"

"Thank you" he bowed once again.

* * *

"There you go" I put down her drink.

"Thank you, Aryane"

"Just Ary" I corrected. "Hey, are you okay?"

She gazed at the garden next to us with some surprise.

"Well, there was someone here who wanted her fortune told" she answered.

She then got up.

"I'll go out for a while" she said, taking her crystal ball. "She asked me to cheer up her mistress by telling her fortune. It might be the last time I get to do it in this town"

"All right, but I'll come with you" I nodded. "There might be other Akumas left"

"Let's go!"

* * *

"Is this it, Zoltar?"

"Yes, I think it is"

Eying the pond in wonder, my eyes caught a movement to the left, and I narrowed my eyes at the familiar figure.

"You" I spat, getting into a defensive stance.

For only answer, Mimi smirked and took out her fans.

"I'll take your Innocence before your other friends show up" she announced.

"Of course, go and tell everyone your plan" I rolled my eyes, activating _Angel_. "Zoltar, stay behind me. She can be a real bitch"

Suddenly, said bitch jumped.

"Out of the way!" she yelled, throwing one of the fans.

"Ary, dodge right!" exclaimed Mei-Ling.

Obeying, I avoided the attack with tremendous success.

"Keep it up!" I exclaimed her way. "Feathered Blades!"

I blocked the other fan and both flew back to the maid's hands, who scowled at her apparent situation.

"Take this!" she threw them again.

"Ary, ahead of you!" called Mei-Ling.

I blocked the oncoming attack with my wings, before pushing back, sending her a few meters away. She then disappeared.

"Behind you!"

I sent a mid-quick, half-thinking that I'd hit air, but smirked when the sole of my boot connected with our attacker's stomach before she could stab me. She glared.

"Oh, it's on now!" she yelled angrily.

There was a gasp behind me, making me frown a little.

"Zoltar, don't overdo it!" I warned. "I don't want you fainting on me!"

"I'll be fine, just watch out" she warned. "She'll attack from the left"

At the same time, the maid tried to slice me in two… from the left. I kicked her again, sending her roll in the dirt, and I shook my head.

"Dude, she just called your attack and you did the exact same thing she predicted" I rolled my eyes.

Getting back up, she muttered something, but I couldn't hear it. Then, she smiled wickedly.

"I'll give my all for Madam Lulubell!" she exclaimed, her skin turning to a dark grey.

"Holy shit!"

Grabbing Mei-Ling, I backed away in time to avoid the tail of the now giant Akuma before us. Apparently, Mimi had had enough and left her meat suit for a shiny new DRAGON ONE! Why the hell would she be a _dragon_!?

"Die!" she snarled as a harsh wind started swirling around.

The wind was too strong, and made me loose my balance, sending me crash against a wall. Grunting at the shock, I winced when pain stung the back of my head.

"Damn it…" I mumbled.

"Ary!"

"Stay back!" I snap at her. "Run out of here and get the others!"

"I can't let you do that!" growled the Akuma.

"Shit!"

I managed to get up, and stood between the girl and the weapon. Firmly planting my bladed wings in the ground to get a better grip, I had to close my eyes to avoid debris popping out my ocular globes.

Bad move.

Something grabbed my ankles as the mini-tornado surrounding us became more violent, and I was suddenly falling… into the river. Coughing harshly to get the water out of my lungs, I saw too late the giant tail falling onto me. Barely managing to avoid the hit, I couldn't escape the other, and I winced once again as my head hit the bottom of the river.

However, now was _so_ not the time to faint.

Like, really not.

So, grasping to my consciousness as much as I could, I stayed underwater and swam to the shore, just in time to see Allen, Lenalee and Krory now fighting back against Mimi. Well, more like _trying_ , seeing as they were pinned to the wall I was sent crashing into sooner.

Uh. Maybe I _did_ black out for a moment after all.

"Big hammer, small hammer: grow, grow, grow!"

"And here comes the hero" I grumbled, my arms shaking under my weight. "Always fashionably late, uh? Stupid Bookboy…"

Seeing as they could handle her easy-peasy now that she was done, I simply deactivated my Innocence to help regenerating quicker. The maid retreated into her meat suit and collapsed.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I lifted my eyes at Lavi.

"Yo, Bookboy" I greeted. "Just peachy. I mean, it's not like I was sent crashing into a wall not five minutes ago, or that I was practically drowned barely one minute before you arrived, right?"

"You really ought to be more careful" he sighed, helping me up with my arm around his neck for support.

"Oh, so sorry for not warning in advance" I drawled. "Next time, I'll ask the Akuma if they would be so kind as to not try to kill me. Who knows, they might serve me some biscuits with that"

"That's industrial level sarcasm" he seemed surprised. "But if you're lucid enough to make these kind of comments, I guess you'll be fine"

"Because _now_ you see it?" I rolled my eyes. "I-"

The ground before us suddenly… exploded. Kind of. Hard to tell, really. Looking up, I then realized that Mimi wasn't there anymore.

"She's gone" remarked Lavi.

"Damn b-b-bi- 'tchi!"

There was a moment of silence as the others turned to me, apparently surprised to hear such a sound. Then, Mei-Ling started giggling as I lowered my head, my whole body shaking under the sneezing. Lenalee soon joined in, while the other three just chuckled at my predicament.

"I –'tchi!- I hate y- 'tchi!- you a-a- 'tchi!- all, damn it –'tchi!"

* * *

"Mei-Ling, are you alright?"

"Thank goodness you're safe!"

She smiled at them, before turning to me, who was still using Lavi as a crutch.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much use" she apologized.

"Aw, don't be like that, Zoltar" I ruffled her hair. "You were awesome, predicting her moves and all that. And we can't really blame you, seeing as your Innocence isn't an offensive type. So no worries, okay?"

She smiled once again, and nodded, before reassuring the last villagers.

"Now that the Akumas know about her Innocence, more will come" said quietly Allen.

"They'll want to destroy it" nodded Lenalee.

"We should leave as soon as possible" frowned Lavi.

"That may be best" nodded Bookman, arriving behind us with Mei-Ling's grandfather.

"But… what about her farewell party?" asked sadly Lenalee.

"Jumper, there's a good chance it'll turn to funerals after-party if we don't leave soon" I retorted.

The redhead whacked my head for my lack of tact.

"Sorry, sorry" I mumbled.

"Let's let Mei-Ling decide" proposed Allen.

We all turned to the little girl, who looked down for a moment, thinking. Then, she looked back at us, serious.

"We should go" she accepted. "Ary is right. If I stay any longer, everyone will be in danger"

"Mei-Ling…" tried Lenalee.

"Everyone" she turned to the villagers. "I'll become an Exorcist and protect you like Ary, Lenalee, Allen, Krory, Lavi and Bookman do!"

"Mei-Ling, you'll be just fine" assured her grandfather. "Travel a path of your own choosing"

"I will!"

Her own choosing? Maybe not. But hell if I'm going to let her go through this alone.

* * *

"Is something wrong, Mei-Ling?"

At Lenalee's question, I turned to look at Mei-Ling, who was walking behind with Bookman. The little girl was staring with a glassy look and slightly widened eyes at her crystal ball, making me frown in worry.

"You're… all hurt…" she whispered. "It's a terrible battle…"

She trailed off, and her eyes rolled in their sockets before she slumped on the ground.

"Mei-Ling!"

While Lenalee took care of her, I placed the Innocence into my backpack and exchange a glance with Lavi. We would have to be careful, now.

* * *

"Akumas!" warned Allen's voice through the carriage.

"Where are they?" asked Lavi.

Mei-Ling's crystal ball glowed and I leveled my guard, ready to defend the girl, who had woken up an hour or so sooner.

"Below us!"

A second later, the carriage brusquely brake and there were a few explosions. After that, we were on the road again.

"Mei-Ling, you saved us" smiled Krory.

"You okay, Zoltar?" I frowned at her shaking form.

"Hai!"

There were a few moments of silence, before Allen alerted us again.

"Above us!"

"I'll take care of it!"

"It's not just one Akuma!" warned Mei-Ling.

"Then… Hell Fire Cyclone!"

Again, some explosions.

I gritted my teeth as we gained some speed. It was pretty obvious that we were being ambush, and seeing as mere Akumas weren't bright enough to think of a plan themselves, it was most likely we would run into a Noah before the end of the hour. Sincerely hope it's not Lulubell, though. I can't fight well with these damn allergies.

"Watch out, the path is about to explode!"

Allen managed to change road in time, but the carriage shook roughly nonetheless.

"Damn it" grunted Krory.

Mei-Ling was now panting rather obviously, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. However, before I could make a comment, the ball glowed once again.

"More demons behind the rocks" she announced. "Above and below too!"

As the boys took care of them, the little girl finally gave in and collapsed once again.

"Mei-Ling!"

"She's passed her limit" frowned Bookman.

At the same time, the carriage took a sharp turn.

"Jump!" yelled Allen, above the shoots and screeches.

Grabbing Mei-Ling, I cradled her against me as I jumped out, activating my Innocence in the meantime to protect us from the oncoming shots. Getting up, I groaned in annoyance once I realized just exactly _what_ had happened.

"They're trying to separate us!" exclaimed Lavi, from the other side of the barrier.

I glance at Lenalee and Allen, who were with me, as the redhead was stopped from destroying the metals bars separating us.

"They're after Zoltar's Innocence" I said. "We have to go, now!"

"But-"

"Do as Tenshi says!" yelled Lavi. "They're after Mei-Ling!"

"Now's your chance, while they're occupied with us!" added Krory.

"We'll catch up with you later!"

I wanted to stay and help but knowing what we had to do and seeing as the others were already running ahead, though, I could only follow, already anticipating our meeting with the Noah clansmen.

* * *

"Incoming!"

"Spin Rocket!"

Without missing a beat, I destroyed the three of the Akumas in one go, really not in the mood to face these stupid Level One right now. However, as I landed back on the ground, there was a sharp gasp from Lenalee, and we saw a weird whip-like rope grabbing her wrist.

"Who's there?" she called angrily.

"Fucking Santa Claus, that's who" I mumbled, earning me a whack behind the head.

Then, a woman very familiar walked out of the shadows, and I sighed heavily.

"Of course it the fucking c-c- 'tchi!- damn it! Say, do you have a c-ca- 'tchi!- a cat? 'Cause I can't fucking s-s-s- 'tchi!- stand these damn d-d- 'tchi!- devils" I grunted.

"Ary, so not the time!" protested Lenalee.

At the same time, three Level Two surrounded us.

"She's been pushed past her limit" announced the woman. "Without the use of her psychic powers, you are of little concern"

"You knew her limitations and planned to tire Mei-Ling to the point of collapse?" stated Allen, apparently outraged at the idea.

"Well, duh" I rolled my eyes. "You're p-p- 'tchi!- plain dumb, Kiddo, Jumper still has her t-t-te- 'tchi!- teddy bear, and I'm afraid o- 'tchi!- of spiders, too"

There was a moment of very heavy silence.

"What? I thought w- 'tchi!- we were stating the o-o- 'tchi!- obvious" I shrugged.

"I am taking that girl's Innocence" announced Lulubell, falling back in killer mode.

"You'll never get Mei-Ling's Innocence" retorted Lenalee.

At that, the Noah smirked, and sent her flying a few meters above, before making her crash into the ground.

"Lenalee!" called Allen, worried.

"Go!" ordered the damn woman.

Two of the Akumas ran at her while Allen was forced to fight the third.

"Feathered Blades!" I called, effectively destroying one of them.

At the same time, Lenalee managed to get up and destroyed the other.

"I'll protect Mei-Ling!" she assured firmly.

"I see. Now!"

She cracked another whip –were they her arms?- and another bunch of Level Two made it's dramatic arrival. Lenalee managed, somehow, to free herself, while I took care of a few of them, searching for a way out of this stupid mess. There was an explosion when Allen arrived just in time to save Lenalee and Mei-Ling, and I flew to them.

"Jumper, we'll h- 'tchi!- hold them off" I assured. "Just k-k- 'tchi!- keep Mei-Ling safe"

"But-!"

I sliced through two of them while Allen blocked the oncoming shots with his arm.

"Come on!" I growled.

She jumped to avoid another attack, but couldn't avoid the wisp in time, and fall to the ground in a painful scream.

"Lenalee!"

Hop, there goes Allen, saying hello to some trees on his merry way- focus!

"One ripped seam affects the other" remarked casually the Noah.

"Lenalee, Allen!" called Mei-Ling, waking up.

"Zo- 'tchi!- Zoltar, stay d-"

"Go!"

The Level Two, who was about to crush Allen, ran to the girl. Instantly, I stood between them, barely holding off the attack.

"As if" I spat.

Then, in one sudden burst of energy, I sliced through it with my bladed wings. After that, out of ideas for the moment, I threw myself over Mei-Ling, gripping her tightly against me as the whip lacerated my back one blow at a time.

"A-Ary!" choked the little fortune teller, horrified.

Getting up despite the searing pain in my back, I threw her at Lenalee's open arms and shot another round of blades around, before clearing away with the others.

We then did the only thing we could do at the moment: we ran.

* * *

There was a sudden blast, sending Allen to Dreamland. Then, Lenalee soon joined him as the Noah attacked her from behind.

"You b- 'tchi!- bitch!" I yelled, coming at her.

At the last moment, though, something grabbed my ankle and slammed me into the sort-of walls around us.

Needless to say, instant black out.

* * *

"Holy shit!"

"A-Ary!"

I looked up to see Krory's surprised face. Apparently, I was in his arms. He landed on the ground and Lavi arrived besides us with a smirk.

"Awake at last?" he mocked.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Is that a –'tchi!- dragon?"

"… yes"

"You really fuck shit up w- 'tchi!- when I'm not a- 'tchi!- around, don't you" I deadpanned, getting up. "File me i-i- 'tchi!- in, fifteen words t-top"

"Mimi joined Lulubell, we got here shortly after, everyone is okay for the time being" he replied as I got back on my feet.

"Okay" I nodded, activating _Angel_ once again. "Hey, ugly! Guess who's a- 'tchi!- about to go with a- 'tchi!- a bang!?"

At the same time, though, she fall back into her human form and ran away. Or rather, towards Lulubell and Allen's fight… wait, she got the crystal ball!

"Shit!"

But, seeing as Allen could handle her, I rather flew towards Lulubell, intent on getting the Innocence back.

"Give it back!" I snarled.

However, she whipped me away. At the last second, though, I sent three blades at her. I landed on the ground as blood splattered on my face, and I looked up in time to see Mimi standing between her mistress and myself. The iron fans fall in a loud 'CLANG' as she gasped in pain and slightly turned to the Noah.

"Madam Lulubell…" she croaked. "… was I… of any use… to you?"

"… hai"

The girl beamed at her, before exploding. I cracked a few of my bones, glad that one was gone, at least.

"Bang" I snorted. "Just as I –'tchi!- said. Now, about the o-o- 'tchi!- other one…"

But she wasn't there anymore.

"Gahhh, damn –'tchi!- damn it!" I balled my fists.

"Quick, she might still be nearby!" called Lenalee, not far behind.

However, as soon as the words left her mouth, Mei-Ling's eyes widened as she stiffened, gasping for air.

"My… my Innocence… it's broken…" she looked down.

Then, she started crying. Angry, I hit the rock wall besides me, making it crack under the strength of the blow.

"Damn it…"

* * *

My fingers playing with my necklace, I listened to the choked sobs on the other side of the door. We were back at the village, seeing as sending her off with the Finders wasn't necessary anymore, and I felt _so_ bad. I tried to save her Innocence, and it just so easily slipped between my grasp…

The cries finally calmed down, and Lenalee walked out.

"She wants to see you" she said quietly.

Nodding, I went inside, and sat next to the bed.

"Hey, Zoltar" I called. "You hanging in there? How are you feeling?"

"I… I wanted to fight with you…" she fought back the tears that threatened to fall again. "I wanted to become an Exorcist… and stay by your side…"

"I'm sorry" I looked down. "I was too late. If I had been more careful…"

"No" she shook her head, fists tightening. "You tried! It's not your fault!"

That made me chuckle a little, and I ruffled her hair.

"I know" I sighed. "To be honest… I'm kind of glad. The life of an Exorcist… I don't want this war to taint you anymore than it already did. You deserve a brighter life than one of an Host. I was glad to fight by your side for the time it lasted, though"

Without a warning, she latched onto me. At first surprised, I then hugged back.

"Don't die" she whispered, shaking. "Promise me you won't die"

I opened my mouth to answer the usual, like how I didn't lie and that dying was more than very probable but, seeing her so frail, so hopeful, I found myself believing my very first lie.

"I won't. I promise"

* * *

"Mei-Ling's power would have been a great asset" sighed Krory. "It is unfortunate it came to this"

We were now on our way, back to the main mission and leaving the village, a bitter taste of failure and relief in our mouths.

"It is" nodded Lenalee. "But…"

"At least, she can stay at the village with her family, now" smiled Allen.

I smiled too at his words, and the sun rose above a new horizon, just behind the mountains.

* * *

 **For any who hasn't realized yet, Ary tends to get her tongue running when she's tired or nervous. She's not exactly comfortable, fighting against Noahs and such. Therefore, her... unique, humor, tends to set loose more often in these fights.**

 **That's all I had to say.**

 **Question: Ary seems kind of convinced that she won't live much longer. However, these kind of thoughts can greatly affect one's life. How about you guess how it'll affect Ary's?**

 **Thanks and reviews!**


	18. Sail To Japan

**Another chapter and the first season will be done and over with! Now that I look back, it seemed to pass extremely quickly... Oh well, the story will go up to 53 or 54 chapters, so we've still got some way to go!**

 **Answer: She won't become more reckless, even though it could have happened. However, Ary isn't suicidal either. However, it can lead to some extremely unneeded fatalism...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

We were on a boat, going down the river at... some place in the world. I'm not good with geography...

"I'll be seeing my Master, at last" sighed Allen. "It's a bittersweet feeling"

"Don't worry, I'll hold him down so you can punch him" I assured, patting his head.

"Thanks, Ary" he sweatdropped.

"No problem, Kiddo"

"Stop calling me that!"

I snickered, along with Lavi, and the white haired boy suddenly got up, making the boat shake a little.

"Allen?" wondered Lenalee.

"I… just thought someone was watching us" he frowned, looking around.

"Kiddo, we're in the middle of nowhere, in Wherever-the-hell-knows-Somewhere" I snorted. "Who the hell would watch us _here_ of all places?"

"Maybe it was a panda" he admitted, sitting back.

"Allen, do you think there are pandas all over the place in China?" giggled Lenalee. "There aren't, you know"

"Gahhh!" I yelled suddenly, making them jump.

"There's one right there!" yelled Lavi, going along with my crazy and pointing at Bookman.

"Guys, that's kind of getting old…" Allen sweatdropped once again.

"Bullshit" I sneered at him. "You just can't handle our amazing humor. And seriously, Kiddo, you owe some respect to your elders"

"I'm still taller"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

* * *

Sipping my hot drink, I sighed in bliss. It seemed like an eternity since I had one.

"Hey! Why're you sitting around and drinking tea!?" exclaimed Lavi.

"It's not tea, it's hot chocolate" I retorted. "But you're right about the other two: how the hell can you be crazy enough to drink _that_?"

"That's not what I'm talking about!" he stomped his foot. "Cross Marshall is-"

"Haste makes waste, as the saying goes" cut Bookman. "Our destination is a mere stone's throw away. Deciding on a plan of action is the most important thing at the moment"

"What he said" I nodded. "Hey, Jumper"

The girl smiled at me.

"You're just being lazy!" Lavi slapped his palms on the table.

"Well, nothing wrong with that" remarked Allen, coming back to us. "There's really no hurry"

"Allen, you don't really want to find the Marshall, do you?" he accused.

"Well…" he looked away sheepishly.

"Bookboy, Cross knocked him out with a hammer before disappearing" I snorted. "Pretty sure finding him is the last thing he wanted to do"

"Well, we're here and all, so let's take a look around the city" proposed Lenalee.

"Sure" I placed down my now empty cup. "I have to buy something to sew back my cloak a little anyway"

* * *

"What a busy city!" exclaimed Allen, in awe.

"Guangzhou's the center of trade for the whole province of Canton" answered Lavi. "It's near the ocean too, so people and goods from around the world come into the city"

"Bo-o-o-ring" I yawned.

"Hey!"

"Very good, Mr. future Bookman" smiled Lenalee. "You're quite knowledgeable indeed, Lavi"

"Please, Jumper, any more words and he'll trip over his own ego" I rolled my eyes.

At the same time, my foot caught something, sending me rolling in the dust. I lifted an annoyed glare at Lavi, who whistle innocently while looking away.

"You jerk" I grunted, getting up. "That was petty and childish"

"Coming from you, that's kind of hypocrite, Tenshi" he smirked, flicking my forehead.

"Ow" I rubbed the sore skin.

"You must know a lot about China too, Lenalee" Allen pointed out, by this point too use to our antics to really pay it any mind. "It must be nice being back in your homeland"

"Yeah… sort of" she shrugged.

"Sort of?"

She gazed at the stands on the sides of the street with a small smile.

"Well, I don't remember much of the time before I came to the Order" she admitted. "All I really remember about my family back then is my brother. So, you see, even though we're in China… well, everything is new and unfamiliar"

After that, she darted to the first stand she could find –some umbrellas- and opened one, beaming at us.

"Isn't it cute?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Lenalee…" tried Allen.

"Drop it, Kiddo" I nudged his side, shaking my head a little.

"It's okay, Ary" she smiled at me. "You see, even if it's my homeland… well, it might sound weird, but the Order really is my only home. My friends at the Order are my family. Being with you guys makes me happier than anything else"

Seeing her eyes water, I instantly wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug.

"Aw, Jumper" I grinned. "You're so cute!"

"And it's not stupid at all" Allen shook his head.

"Agreed" nodded Lavi. "You're just like us, friends until the end"

"Lavi… Allen…"

"Okay, I think we've reached our drama quota of the week" I broke off the ambiance, and making them laugh a little.

"Right, we should probably head back anyway" confirmed Lavi. "If we stick around any longer, that cantankerous old coot might make us out to be the lazy ones"

"Because we _are_ lazy" I pointed out, letting Lenalee go.

"Not the point" he waved his hand as if swatting a fly.

The other two chuckled a little, and Lenalee turned to the shopkeeper.

"Excuse me, I'd like to buy this one" she said, showing her umbrella.

"Why do you need an umbrella?" I tilted my head. "It's not about to rain"

"No, Ary" she smiled. "It's to protect from the sun"

I made a face at that.

"That's just weird. What if-"

"Timcanpy!"

Spinning around, it was just in time to see the two boys darting away after… a cat.

"Damn it!" I sprinted after them and the stupid animal.

"Sorry!" added Lenalee, giving back the umbrella before following me.

We ran for a few minutes, sometimes loosing little devil, until Lenalee spotted it on the roofs.

"Innocence: activate!" she exclaimed, before jumping after it.

"Lavi, Ary, get down" ordered Allen, behind us.

"Uh?"

Turning to him, we were faced with the barrel of his Innocence-canon-arm.

"Holy shit!"

Dropping on the ground while Lavi bended his back in a weird fashion, we managed to avoid the sudden attack. There was an explosion, soon followed by four others.

"One!" he called as the last Akuma jumped out from the water.

" _Hiban_!" yelled Lavi.

The column of flames came licking the sky, and I watched with sparks in my eyes.

"Uh… Ary?" Allen questionned, inching away somewhat.

"Pretty" I beamed.

"Damn pyromaniac" Lavi shook his head. "And I can't take it anymore! You're a freak, Allen! You're even scarier than the demons _and_ Tenshi, and that's saying something!"

"Hey!"

"Eh? Why's that?" he blinked.

"You can't just shoot at us like that, Kiddo! That's _so_ not cool!" I wailed my arms around, trying to make my point.

"But I had too! These demons would have taken us down!" he defended himself.

"Then you don't care what happens to us?" cried dramatically Lavi. "You don't give a crap if we get shot?"

"I didn't say that!" he protested.

"Bookboy, I can get it, but me?" I pitched in. "I thought we were friends, Kiddo!"

"I-it's not…"

"Move!"

In one movement, we looked up. I jumped away in time to avoid Lenalee as she came crashing down on the little bridge we were in.

"Tadaima!" she grinned. "Oh, what were you three doing?"

They sweatdropped, and I rubbed the back of my head.

"Just some demons and psycho kid there, nothing big" I assured.

"Psycho… kid?" she repeated.

"Oh, you managed to find the cat!" remarked Allen, changing the subject.

At his words, I snarled at the animal on Lenalee's back, and it hissed back, therefore spitting out Timcanpy. The girl Exorcist let it go, and it ran between my legs while hissing louder, and I had to remember that Lenalee was too pure hearted to watch me kick some fur ball around.

"Damn beast" I grunted.

"You get eaten to often, Timcanpy" sighed Allen, picking up the golden ball. "Be more careful"

"Kiddo, you can't blame him" I shook my head. "It's the damn devil's f-f-f- 'tchi!- ARGH!"

Depressed, I sneezed once again as I slumped to the ground in defeat, while the others just laughed.

"Laughing a-a- 'tchi!- at my pain, how c-' tchi!- cruel" I whined. "Bookman, h-h- 'tchi!- help me!"

The old panda was now sitting on Lavi, his arms in his sleeves like the awesome ninja he was.

"Having a nice walk, are we?" he asked. "Ary, take this"

He threw a bottle at me, and my eyes widened when I recognize the anti-allergies.

"You had these the w-w- 'tchi!- the whole damn time!?" I yelled.

He simply shrugged.

"Don't just appear like that, Ji-ji" grunted Lavi. "You surprised me"

"It is more surprising that there are demons here" Krory pointed out.

I popped one of the pills in my mouth, and instantly felt the prickling sensation easing up. I sighed in relief, and gave it back to Bookman.

"Could they have been the presence you felt as we were going down the river, Allen?" asked Lenalee.

"Yeah, I guess it wasn't a panda after all" he nodded.

At that, I exchanged a high five with Lavi, still proud of our joke despite the lack of appropriate answer from the others.

"They've been following us, then?" he asked.

"More like the stupid womanizer…" I mumbled.

There was a moment of silence, and I caught the surprised looks from the others.

"What? Can't I say something brilliant once in while?" I frowned, offended. "I mean, what I say is always brilliant, but…"

"We must make haste" cut the panda.

"That's why I told it was not the time for tea party!" Lavi whined.

As the others walked away, I patted Lavi's back.

"There, there"

"I feel your love" he drawled.

"Piggyback ride?"

"Hell no"

* * *

"Why are you on Lavi's back, Ary? Are you injured _again_?" Krory asked, frowning.

"Wow, we must be a bad influence. You're starting to sound condescending. But, if you really want to know, I bribed him" I shrugged, earning a mumbled curse from the redhead.

"With what?" the vampire-like man asked again, curious.

"Blackmail" I answered rather vaguely. "For example, there was this one time where he decided to-"

"You know, I'm _really_ tempted to drop you, right now" the redhead deadpanned.

"And I'm shutting up" I concluded.

"Good move"

Krory laughed softly at our antics, and Lavi sighed heavily.

"Even after splitting up, there's a lot of ground to cover" he remarked.

"There's a lot of people too" I added.

"Can we really pick out Marshall Cross in all this crowd?" added Krory, gazing around.

"Look for a giant redhead with a stupid look on his face and the words 'DICKHEAD WOMANIZER' written on his forehead" I grunted. "God, I'm going to kick him _so_ hard he won't be able to tell if he's a man anymore…"

Lavi barked out a laugh at that.

"Wouldn't be the first time" he snorted.

"Wouldn't be the last either, I'm pretty sure. Come on, get me down, I want to walk"

"I am _not_ picking you up again" he announced as my feet touched the pavement.

"Come on, I'm not _that_ heavy" I replied, a little offended.

"No, you're not" he agreed, poking my forehead. "And that's something we'll talk about later, by the way"

"Bookboy, I eat as much as Allen" I rolled my eyes. "It's not my fault if I just don't get heavier"

"It's not even physically possible!" he protested.

"Well, obviously, it is" I retorted, crossing my arms. "Why the hell are we even talking about this? We've got to find the damn womanizer!"

"Ary! Krory! Lavi!"

We turned to see Lenalee, Allen and Bookman running to us.

"We've got a lead!" announced the white haired boy.

"That was fast" I lifted an eyebrow.

* * *

"So the owner's new boyfriend might be Marshall Cross?" asked Lenalee.

I whistled a little at the impressive building.

"That seems like something he'd do" I confirmed.

"That's intimidating" remarked Lavi, scratching the back of his head.

"They say it's the best hotel in the whole city" added Allen, a little peeved.

"So we've finally found him…"

"It's been a long road…"

"I'm exhausted…"

"I'm glad we finally found him…"

At that, I cracked my knuckles rather loudly, my mood turning darker.

"Let's go give him the beating of his li- I mean, let's go retrieve him and bring him back safely to the Headquarters" I said, heading for the doors.

However, as soon as I stepped on the stairs, the doors opened and a gigantic woman appeared in the doorway.

"Oi, stop right here! We don't serve kids or first timers! Get out of here!" she boomed.

"H-he's huge…" stuttered Allen.

"Hey, wait, he's got breasts!" added Lavi.

"Morons" I whacked their heads. "I apologize for their rudeness, ma'am. You see…"

I pointed at the emblem on my chest, and her eyes widened slightly in understanding. Then, she roughly grabbed me by the front of my coat and leveled me up so that our eyes could meet. I kicked my feet a little.

"H-hey!"

"I'm sorry" she said quietly. "I'll take you to the Master's room. Please, go around to the back entrance. We're supporters of the Black Order, but we have to keep up appearances…"

"Understood" I nodded briefly. "LET ME GO, DAMN IT!"

She let me fall back on the ground, and I stumbled in Lenalee's arms.

"Get lost" she spat, before slamming the doors behind her.

"What a-"

"Let's go" I cut off Lavi. "Back entrance"

"… uh?"

Once inside, I quickly explained the situation, before the huge bodyguard lead us to meet her Master. Once there, we were faced by a beautiful woman that made my jaw drop. I mean, I'm straight and all –not that I have anything against homosexuals, thank you very much- but _damn_.

"Welcome, honored Exorcists" she greeted smoothly. "I am this inn's owner, Anita. It's a pleasure"

"No wonder the stupid womanizer sticks around…" I mumbled.

"She's gorgeous" whispered Lenalee.

"S-strike!"

I swatted his head.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but Lord Cross is no longer here"

Silence.

Processing the information.

Processing the information.

Processing the inform- WHAT!?

"He left on a ship" she pursued. "Furthermore, that ship was destroyed at sea"

"W-what?"

"I said that the ship carrying Lord Cross was lost at sea eight days ago" she repeated.

"Were there any witnesses?" asked Bookman, keeping his cool.

"A nearby ship saw it's distressed flare and went to its aid. They found neither the ship nor the passengers. All that remained was an unpleasant aura and poisoned water"

"Akumas" my fist clenched.

"Where… where was my Master going?" asked Allen. "Where was the ship headed?"

At that, she frowned a little, and I snorted, drawing attention.

"Ma'am, Lady, or whatever" I said, crossing my arms. "The stupid womanizer isn't dead. It'd take way more than that for kill him and honestly? He's probably drinking 'til unconsciousness right now, wherever the hell he was supposed to go so don't worry too much about it, I'm sure he's as fine as he can be"

Her eyes widened a little and, suddenly, tears rolled on her cheeks.

"You… really think so?"

"Ary is right" nodded Allen. "My Master is way to resilient to just die like that. He's alive"

She nodded, and quickly wiped away her tears.

"Mahoja, ready my ship for departure" she ordered to the huge woman.

"Yes, ma'am" she bowed.

"M-miss Anita?" questioned Lenalee.

"I have always supported the Black Order from the shadows, as my mother did" she announced ceremoniously. "If you wish to find Lord Cross, we will guide you to him. His destination was Japan, where he was headed for Edo"

"Argh, damn it! I swear, I'm going to gouge his eyes out once we find him and I'll drag his stupid ass back by force if I have too" I stomped my foot, annoyed. " _Après ça, je vais arracher ses cheveux un à un et le couper avec une feuille de papier partout sur le corps, avant de l'envoyer se baigner dans une piscine de jus de citron…"_

The two woman stared at me with what seemed surprise to my unusual language and apparent disdain for the man, while the others simply chuckled nervously.

* * *

Waiting next to what would be our boat in a few hours, I turned around when I heard the crew approaching. Allen ahead of us, we walked to face them, and the white haired boy faced who seemed to be the leader.

"Are you mister Jan?" asked Allen.

"And it would seem you're the Exorcists" he retorted, looking weirdly smug.

"Well, obviously" I muttered.

Lavi elbowed me, and I glared at him.

"Right. I am Allen Walker"

"Lavi"

"Arystar Krory the Third"

"Sheesh, so much ceremonials" I rolled eyes, before extending my hand to the leader. "I'm Aryane Darkelston, if you really want to know. Just Ary for short. Nice to meet you"

He shook my hand and I bite back a smirk when he tightened harder than necessary the hold. Without hesitation, I shook with the same strength, not loosing my smile. He finally let go with what seemed an approving glint in his eyes.

"I'd like to thank you for helming Lady Anita's ship" added Allen.

"Thank me?" he repeated. "All I'm doing is following her orders. There's no need to thank me"

"But the trip may be rife with danger" Allen insisted. "Eight days ago, a ship carrying my Master was sunk. I'm certain it was the work of Akumas. We're sending you into treacherous seas"

"Shouldn't we say sorry, then?" I remarked, before wincing, glaring at the redhead who hit me again. "Damn it, Bookboy, stop hitting me!"

"Well, Lady Anita's coming with us. She's stubborn, you know. Once she decides on something, she'll follow through, no matter what. So, don't worry! We'll protect Lady Anita! But you… you're a different story"

I narrowed my eyes slightly at his tone, and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Just make sure you don't get in _our_ way" he concluded.

"Please, we know how to handle ourselves, thank you very much" I huffed, annoyed. "We didn't became Exorcist to be wallflowers"

"We'll protect all of you as well" assured Allen.

I fully turned to him, waving my hands in protest.

"Kiddo, you can't-"

"What was that?" Jan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We are Exorcists" declared proudly Allen. "It is our duty to fight the Akumas. If we failed to protect your lives, we would fail as servants of God as well"

"And there we go" I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"You're going to protect _us_?" asked the leader, clearly mocking us.

He then grabbed one of Allen's arms.

"What're you gonna do with these little beanstalk arms of yours?"

"I will protect you all!" promised my friend, freeing himself.

"Tche, can't trust that" retorted the man. "Oi!"

Next thing I knew, the white haired teen and the older man were facing each other into a arm wrestling contest.

"Guess we can't help it" sighed Allen.

"Why does this always happen?" asked Lavi.

"What will happen if you loose? Will we be sent to the brig as soon as we board?" questioned Krory.

"Or whipped into submission?" added the redhead.

They both shuddered, and I whacked the back of both heads.

"You two are being utterly ridiculous" I seethed through my teeth.

The scratched the sore bumps with a sheepish look, and the arm wrestling contest began. I watched, not overly interested and already knowing who'd win. The other crew members started cheering their captain, while Lavi and Krory encouraged our friend, making me shook my head.

And guess what? It ended exactly as I predicted.

"Now that that's settled" I piped in, drawing the attention of everyone present. "Why don't we-"

"I'll take him on!"

"Seriously?" I whined as all heads turned to Mahoja.

"I will be accompanying you on your voyage" she announced, sitting at the box used sooner. "I'd like to see if you'll be able to protect Lady Anita"

After a second, he accepted, and sat in front of her. Sighing, and already knowing how'd that end too, I walked to the water and stared into the dark abyss. Then, I frowned. Something was moving under. What…

"HOLY HELL!"

My scream alerted everyone as a Level Two suddenly jumped out from the water. Lenalee instantly grabbed Anita and jumped high enough to avoid the attack, and Allen shot at it, making it back down a little. It than raised it's hand, and a bunch of Level Ones joined the party.

"Stay back everyone" ordered Allen. "I won't let them lay a finger on you"

"This is as far a you go!" cackled the weapon. "I'll kill every last one of you!"

The demons started shooting at us, and Allen instantly shot back.

"Sorry, don't really have time to waste" I smirked. "Feathered Blades!"

Three of them exploded, and Lenalee took care of three others. Than, Lavi joined in the fun and got rid of four, leaving two for Krory and the last three for Bookman. Barely a minute later, the Level Two was the only one left.

"Die!" It snarled, running towards the crew.

However, I sliced through it before it could reach them, and I deactivated _Angel_ as it exploded.

"And that's done" I popped my shoulders a little.

"Great job, Allen, Exorcists!" grinned Jan, talking to the white haired boy not far behind me. "You kept us safe, just like you said"

"Mister Jan…"

"Looks like we'll have a safe trip with you aboard"

Then, they shook hands. I frowned a little, and looked away as the sun rose on the ocean.

"Ary…" frowned Lavi, placing an hand on m shoulder.

"Don't" I shook him off. "Let's just go"

He didn't say a thing, but I could still feel his worried gaze on my back.

* * *

"Right, we'll set off as soon as the ship is fully charged" I nodded. "But I don't think we'll be able to initiate contact after now. It's an island nation, after all. We'll contact when we get back"

 **"** **Alright, but are you sure you don't want Supe?"**

"One hundred sure, Reese" I cringed a little. "I wouldn't have called you if I did"

 **"** **True enough. Still, I'm surprised you knew he was having a nap. Developing some psychic powers here?"**

"As if" I snorted. "Anyway, don't overwork yourselves either. Wouldn't want to come back and find all of you dead because of the lack of rest"

 **"** **How thoughtful. But don't worry, we'll be fine. We're all pretty tough, despite the appearances. Just make sure everyone on your end gets home safe and sound, okay?"**

"Sure thing. See you later, Reese"

 **"** **Later"**

The communication was stopped, and I instantly tried another number. However, no one answered. Sighing, I went back to the ship, which was about to sail.

I'd call Summan later.

* * *

"Ary!"

Ignoring the white haired teen, I made my way through the crew members and climbed at the top of the mast.

"Ary?"

Still ignoring him, I let my gaze wander on the ocean extending at my feet. He climbed and arrived behind me, but I kept silent.

"Ary? Did I do-"

"You can't always do this!" I snapped, unable to stop myself anymore.

He took a step back, surprised.

"W-what?"

"You swear to protect and save… everyone" I clenched my fists. "But you can't do that! You can't make promises you won't be able to keep!"

"I will be able to!" he protested.

"And what if you won't?" I challenged angrily. "What if you can't keep that promise? What'll happen to you, then? You'll blame yourself, your failures will destroy you from the inside, and you will _hurt_!"

"Ary…"

"This isn't a game, Allen!" I cut, shaking a little. "You're my friend, and I don't want to see you hurt because you made stupid promises you can't keep! Because what kind of friend would _I_ be if I let you in pain!? _J'aurais beau essayer, je ne pourrais jamais t'aider complètement! Ça va te ronger de l'intérieur et je pourrais seulement te regarder souffrir en silence et_ _-_ "

His eyes widened at my outburst, before a small smile graced his lips. Next thing I knew, I was caught up in his embrace. I hugged back, unable to think of anything else to do or say.

"I might not be able to save everyone…" he admitted. "But it won't stop me from trying"

I nodded, but didn't pull away. I really needed a hug as of now.

"Prepare to cast off!" yelled Anita down there.

"All right maggots, cast off!" repeated Jan.

And there we go again.

Stupid womanizer.

* * *

 **So, here's the new chapter! If I remember correctly, this is the last one of the first season, right? Geez...**

 **French traduction: "After that, I'm going to rip his hair one by one, then will cut his body with a paper sheet, before sending him to swim in a pool of lemon juice..."**

 **"I can try all I want, I'll never be able to help you completely! It's going to eat you from the inside, and all I'll be able to do is watch as you suffer in silence and-**

 **Question: What do you think of Ary and Lavi's interactions? No idea if I asked before, but anyway.**

 **Reviews!**


	19. Behind Each Wave Hides An Akuma?

**So, we're entering the second season of the amazing anime that is -man! Of course, it's wild from start to finish. Ready?**

 **Answer: Well, depends on anyone who's reading but I personally enjoy writing them!**

 **Hope you'll enjoy reading too!**

* * *

In the end, we didn't cast off. Technical problem, I think. And we needed more furniture, too.

So, as the boys were treated like slaves and worked to the bone to transport all the cargo around, and Lenalee went to talk to Lady Anita, I walked to Mahoja, who was leading the operations.

"Mahoja-san, ma'am" I called, getting her attention.

"Just call me Mahoja" she smiled a little, looking at me.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked. "These chauvinistic men won't let me handle the cargo and seeing as I can't cook to save my life, placing me on cooking duty would probably just kill everyone on the first day. So…"

She chuckled at little as I smiled sheepishly. She then took out a piece of paper.

"There's this errand that I needed to run, but I couldn't find the time" she said, handing it to me.

I read the short list: three barrels of water, some tissue to sew back the sails –in case anything happened-, a bag of screws, and…

"Of course they'd want some beer" I shook my head. "I'll go now, then. Anything else?"

"It'll be all" she assured.

"I'm off, then"

She nodded and went back to leading the operations while I went back into town.

* * *

I easily got everything we needed but, on my way back, I heard two horrified screams. Ready to face another Akuma attack, I had to blink a few times to understand that it wasn't anything of the sort.

There were two kids –well, I say kids, but they're around my age- chased by three angry innkeepers.

"WE DIDN'T AGREED TO THIS, DAMN IT!" yelled the black haired one.

"NO WE DIDN'T! WE DIDN'T!" repeated the blond haired one.

"GET BACK HERE, BRATS!"

"LORD CROSS SAID YOU'D PAY FOR HIS EXPENSES SO YOU'LL PAY!"

"AND FOR EVERYTHING!"

I froze at Cross's mention, then sighed. It was just like him, making innocent kids pay for his stupid bills. Hell, I know since he did the same to me, and more than once. However, I had gotten good to avoid these kinds of situations.

They tripped as one and landed roughly on the pavement. The innkeepers circled them, laughing evilly. Taking pity on the poor victims, I placed my things on the ground and jumped in between them.

"Hello, hello, ladies!" I greeted, waving to get their attention. "So sorry for the disturbance!"

"Who're you, lad?" one of the woman asked.

I grabbed the boys, one arm each, and pulled them up.

"Play along" I hissed quietly, before turning to the women. "I'm so very, truly sorry, ma'am, but my brothers and I are on a tight schedule right now, and we _really_ have to go!"

"R-right! Our parents will be _very_ worried" the black haired one piped in.

"Better go" squeaked his friend.

"No way!" objected one when I tried to move. "They've got to pay…"

"This horrible man has been tricking us all along!" I cried dramatically. "But fear not, I have just what you need!"

I then threw the bag of screws I had kept on myself all along, and the third one caught it.

"Have a good day, then!" I then pulled the two stunned teens away.

I pulled them closer.

"Get ready to-"

"HEY!"

We only made three meters before they found out the masquerade.

"Run!"

Darting away into the alley, the other two followed without any apparent difficulty. The three woman tripped on the furniture I had bought sooner, and we used the momentum to briefly disappear onto the roof. They got up, and looked around, angry, before the third one threw the bag of screws angrily and the three of them stomped away. I let out a shaky sigh, laughing a little.

"Who the hell are you?"

Blinking, I turned to the other two. They were eying the cross on my chest with a weird look, so I opted for the safety option, for once.

"… Eliade! Nice to meet you!" I made the peace sign, internally groaning at the name I chose on a whim. "Stole the coat to a weird bunch of travellers five days ago. You like it?"

They seemed to relax somewhat at that, and I got up.

"Well, it was fun and all, but I've gotta go, now" I said.

"Why'd you help us?" asked curiously the black haired one.

"Pity" I admitted. "Got tricked like that a few times. And I was bored, too. What's your names, by the way?"

"I'm Devit!" he presented himself.

"And I'm Jasdero!" added the blond one.

"Together, we're Jasdevi!" they exclaimed, waving their toy guns around.

I grinned.

"You're funny" I said. "But I _really_ have to go, now"

Quickly, I got back on the ground, and gathered everything, before waving at them.

"It was cool while it lasted, Jasdevi!" I yelled, running away.

"Thanks for the help!" Davit yelled back.

"Thanks! Thanks!" cackled Jasdero.

"Any time!"

And with that, I ran back to the boat, unable to stop thinking about how I probably escaped something very dangerous without really knowing what.

Meh. It's not like I'd see them again anyway.

* * *

When I finally got back, I saw all of my friends around Allen, who seemed very flustered.

"Hey guys, what'd I miss?" I asked, popping in.

"Ary!" exclaimed Jumper.

"It's not-"

"Look at Allen's arm!"

Ignoring his protests, she pulled said arm and I froze at the sight of the anti-Akuma weapon literally falling apart.

"I don't know whether to be worried or disgusted" I admitted. "The hell's happening to you, Kiddo?"

"He says it's because his Innocence is tired, but I've never heard of anything of the sort before" answered Lavi, frowning.

"Maybe because it's a parasitic type?" proposed Allen, apparently trying to find a way out.

"My wings are still as beautiful as ever, thank you very much" I replied, crossing my arms.

"Maybe because I don't have regenerative abilities like yours?"

"You're just grasping to straws, now!" accused the redhead.

He chuckled nervously.

"Certainly, that eye of yours forces you to fight twice as much as any of us" remarked Bookman.

"I've been thinking…" said softly Lenalee. "Your arm's awfully fragile, isn't it, Allen?"

With that, she started shaking, making Allen freeze in fright.

"Allen made her cry!" said Lavi.

"Yeah, he did" nodded Bookman.

"His fault" confirmed Krory.

"N-no, I didn't!"

"You're all ridiculous" I huffed. "Jumper, don't go crying over that. Allen is fine for the time being, and if it ever gets too dangerous, then I'll tie him down myself to keep him from fighting, okay?"

"T-that won't be necessary!" he shook his head quickly.

At the same time, the chimney blew it's smoke at the sails set loose.

"Let's go help the crew" I finally said, stretching a little.

I could _see_ the souls of the boys escaping from their body at my proposition, making me snicker a little. Messing with them was so much fun! Before Lavi walked away with the others, though, I grabbed his arm.

"Do you really have no idea about that?" I asked quietly.

"None" he assured. "But I'll see if I can find something later with Ji-ji"

"Thanks"

Then, he walked away, and I frowned, going to the room I shared with Lenalee. Once I was assured to be alone, I activated _Angel_ and examined my wings.

They were their usual self, white and plain, but when I turned my feathers to steel, I could see the weird rust forming on the edges. Biting my lower lip, I've decided to tell them once we found Cross. My Innocence's state wasn't even close as bad as Allen's, so it wasn't important for now.

* * *

The first night came, and everyone was eating and drinking in the warmth of bunker. However, I couldn't find it in me to enjoy myself. My guts were twisting painfully and a lump in my throat stopped me from eating. In the end, I simply walked outside to get some air.

Taking a few deep breaths at a fresh wind gently hit my face, I smiled a little.

"You're bad at surprising people, Bookboy"

There was a annoyed sigh behind, and he came next to me.

"You just have freaking eyes all around the head" he muttered. "What's up? You look a little pale"

Frowning, I let my gaze wander on the ocean once more.

"… the air" I finally said. "It's heavy. Something bad is going to happen"

"… I'm tempted to say that you're worrying over nothing, but I feel it too" he sighed. "I think it's the same for the others, but they just don't want to worry the crew"

"I guess" I shrugged, letting my head rest on his shoulder.

We stayed silent for a moment.

"What'd Ji-ji gave you, by the way? He passed you the weird bottle again" he asked casually.

I glared a little, half-amused and half-exasperated.

"You never give up, do you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Aw, you know you love me!" he grinned, swinging an arm around my shoulders.

"Of course I do" I sighed.

There was a moment of silence as I bit my lower lip to stop the smirk forming on my face.

"…wait, what!?"

Unable to help it, I started laughing.

"O-oh God, your _face_ " I choked on my laughter. "Really, sometimes, your reactions are just _precious_ , Bookboy"

"That's just mean, Tenshi" he pouted.

Next thing I knew, I was trapped in his hold while he rubbed his knuckles roughly against my skull. Wriggling to break free, in part laughing, I tried to breath between my chokes.

"L-Lavi! Let me- let me go! Lavi!"

I finally managed to free myself, and I took in a deep breath to stop the giggles still forming in my throat.

"Moron" I finally managed to say.

"But I'm _your_ moron!" he beamed.

"Doesn't make you less of an idiot, though" I snorted.

"… I'm still taller"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

Not once did he realize I had managed to change the subject.

* * *

The day after that, the brief peace of mind Lavi had helped me achieve was utterly gone, and I had to use all my self-control not to throw up. I was now engaged in a game of poker –half to get my mind of my troubles, half to reassure myself everything would be alright-, and we finally called our games.

There was a moment of heavy silence that etched for a minute as all the Exorcists present tensed at the results.

"I… lost?"

"HOLY SHIT WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

"SHUT UP!" I wacked his head. "Another game, now!"

The crew was confused at our now deadly serious attitudes as I distributed the cards once again.

We had no time to loose, though. We had to find out just _how_ bad it would turn out.

* * *

"That's it, the planet is about to implode or something like that" stated Lavi when I finally won.

Because winning after a series of looses determined the level of the oncoming events. However…

"Thirty-two looses" Bookman counted.

"This is bad" Allen shook his head.

"No shit" I snapped his way.

"What exactly is happening?" asked Lady Anita, frowning.

"Long story short, I always win my games" I answered, getting up. "When I loose, it usually predicts something bad is about to happen. For me to loose so many games in a row… _oh Dieu, ça va mal se terminer, cette histoire_ "

The nodded in understanding.

"Get ready to face _anything_ " barked Mahoja to the rest of the crew. "Be on your guard!"

"Hai!"

Sighing, I put back the deck of cards in my pocket.

"This isn't going to end well" I muttered under my breath.

"Hey, what's up!"

Turning to Lavi, I saw that he had addressed Allen, who was now standing at the watch.

"Everyone!" Allen yelled back. "Akumas on the horizon!"

We all lifted our eyes to the sky as the air went even heavier, and my breath hitched at the dark and buzzing cloud approaching us.

Demons, yes.

And it was _gigantic_.

"There's so many of them!" exclaimed Lady Anita, horrified.

The bell started ringing as the crew went to get their arms and readied for the oncoming battle.

"Ary?"

I snapped my eyes at Lenalee's worried one, and I realized that I was frozen in place. Shaking my head, I fall back to my senses.

"Let's go join the others" I said.

So we did.

"The timing of this attack must mean…" Bookman trailed off.

"They knew we were coming" Lavi cracked his knuckles.

My eyes trailed to Krory, who was shaking.

"Hey, you okay, Buffy?" I frowned at his state.

Still shaking, a dark smile suddenly spread on his face, and he turned to his vampire form.

"My teeth are aching" he simply answered.

"Good, you're going to need them" I nodded, rolling my shoulders a little.

"Innocence: activate!"

As soon as I felt my wings on my back, Allen opened the hostilities by shooting the closest ones. However, instead of attacking us, they simply passed the ship at high speed, making me grit my teeth as a harsh wind whipped our faces.

"The hell are they going like that?" I exclaimed angrily.

"They're bypassing us completely!" added Lavi, hammer in hands.

"Wherever they're going, we can't let them!" yelled Allen, still up there.

He kept on shooting, and I nodded.

"Right. Feathered Blades!"

Seven of them exploded, making me smirk a little. I could shoot with my eyes closed and get a maximum of targets anyway, with how many they were.

"Just as I thought!" exclaimed victoriously a voice above us. "They're Exorcists! I knew I recognized these black coats!"

Two demons, Level Two. Allen tried to shoot them, but they easily escaped his attacks.

"Allen, I'm coming!" assured Lavi, prepared to use his hammer.

But before him -or any of us for that matter- could move, other Level Two appeared all around us.

"There are Exorcists here!"

"What's this?"

"Oh, there's a bunch of humans too!"

"Dinner time!"

They flew at Lady Anita, but were harshly stopped by the shield she lifted.

"Don't even think about it!" she warned.

"Cheeky bitch!" yelled one, scrapping the shield. "Do you thing this'll hold off us, Level Two!?"

"Maybe not the shield, but how about some steel blades through you stupid metal skulls, tin cans?" I yelled, slicing through them in one go.

They exploded and, at the same time, another one appeared behind the group.

"I've got you now!" it announced, flying at Lady Anita.

As it was about to grab her, Mahoja intervened and literally kicked it away, making me whistle a little.

"You won't a finger on my Master" she announced proudly.

"Nice one" I nodded.

"Damn bitch!" it growled.

Before it could attack again, though, Lenalee fall from the sky and destroyed it with her _Dark Boots_.

"Arigato, the both of you" smiled Lady Anita.

"Don't thank us just yet" I shook my head.

"Exorcists!"

"I'm hungry!"

"Humans too!"

The explosions had attracted the attention of the rest of their bunch, and they were now surrounding the whole ship.

"I could flail about with my eyes close and still hit something" remarked Lavi.

"Yes, I will eat my fill tonight" smirked Krory.

"Here they come" concluded Bookman.

"And here we go!" I yelled, rising into the air. "Spin rocket!"

* * *

We had only been fighting for ten minutes, at most, before Allen dear thought it was a good idea to get FUCKING KIDNAPPED!

"Allen!" yelled Lenalee as he was dragged away.

"I'm going after him, stay and help the others!" I exclaimed, taking off after him.

"Hai!"

Going as fast as I could, I destroyed all the Akumas on my way, with the only objective of saving my friend.

* * *

A minute later, we had passed the port and went passed some of the mountains. I had no idea where the hell all this bunch of weapons was going but one thing was for sure: I didn't like it one bit.

I finally managed to spot Allen as he kept shooting at his kidnapper, missing each time. Casually, I flew next to him.

"Kiddo, you won't break free with an aim as shitty as that" I deadpanned.

"A-Ary!" he tried wriggling out of the Akuma's grasp.

"The hell!?" exclaimed said Akuma, finally spotting me. "What…"

"Feathered Blades!"

It exploded in a screech, and I suddenly realized my mistake as Allen plummeted to the ground.

"SHIT! I'M COMING, KIDDO!"

I managed to grab his arm and a part of his coat, slowing down the fall somewhat but, being unable to fly with a… err, passenger, I couldn't control exactly our landing, with resulted in us destroying a few trees on our way down before finally hitting the ground. Nothing was broken, which was a plus, but I'd definitely get bruises for that.

"You okay, Kiddo?" I asked, rubbing a sore spot on my shoulder.

"Couldn't you think this through before shooting the Akuma?" he mumbled, still laying on the ground.

"What was I supposed to do, let you trapped up there?" I raised an eyebrow, not convinced.

"I nearly died!" he wailed his arms around, exasperated at my lack of concern.

"But you didn't" I retorted, getting up. "Now come on, we've got to-"

There was a sudden explosion nearby, and the ground shook harshly under our feet.

"What the hell?"

"Look!"

I did as told, and felt my throat go dry at the sight as my heartbeat went wild.

"What… is that?" muttered Allen.

A giant –bigger than the mountains around, I swear- body, without head and arms, and countless tentacles-like things for legs, was now floating a few kilometers away from our position. There was a weird halo around what would be it's neck, and it was glowing faintly, the same color as Innocence. The bunch of Akuma was quickly gathering around it, and I felt an indescribable dread fill my heart as the air grew thicker and what seemed like a pain-filled, guttural, scream echoed.

I clamped my hands against my ears to block out the horrible noise, shaking my head. I knew what it was, I knew what it meant. I saw it once before, with Lenalee.

"The demons are attacking!" Allen pointed out suddenly. "Is that big white thing what they were after?

"That's not… that's not _just_ a thing, Allen" I whispered, my breath hitching.

"A-Ary?" he seemed frightened.

Oh, right. I never called him by his name before, have I?

"It's…" I gulped. "It's a _Fallen One_. An Exorcist, who failed in the eyes of God"

Another scream echoed, and I swallowed the bile rising in my throat.

"It's not- you have to do something _drastic_ to come to that!" I added, more frenetically, trying to see it's heart. "How- who would-"

And then, I saw it.

 _Him._

My heart stopped beating, and my knees gave in to the shock, sending me tumbling to the ground.

"Ary!" Allen grabbed my shoulders, stopping my fall.

I placed an hand on my my mouth to stop my own scream from escaping. I couldn't breath right, it was just _wrong_.

 _Not him_ , I pleaded quietly. _Please, I'm begging you, not him!_

"Summan…"

* * *

 **Ooh, things starts a little rough, don't they? And poor Ary, finding Summan like that. Also, the little meeting with Jasdevi was just for shit and giggles. There's really no other point, other than the reactions when they meet back.**

 **French traduction: "Oh God, this story will end badly..."**

 **Question: Did I get Jasdevi's character right? I'm really unsure...**

 **Thank you, and reviews!**


	20. The Fallen And The Gentleman

**And here we go for the 20th chapter! I really hope you'll like it, because I just loved writing that part.**

 **Answer: Once again, depends on who's answering.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It couldn't be. It was too _wrong_ to be. Summan would _never_ betray us, no matter how much he hated being an Exorcist. He wouldn't betray _me_!

"Ary, get a grip!"

I snapped my eyes at Allen, and realized that I had been plunged in some sort of denial-trance. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath.

"This Fallen form is God's punishment for those who try, unchosen, to join with him" I said more precisely, voice still shaking. "They don't- they don't do it anymore, though. I saw an- an experiment, conducted at the Headquarters lab a few years back, but they _don't do it anymore_ , so _why_ …"

My voice broke, and I breathed a few times to calm myself.

It was too late. No matter what happened, we couldn't turn back a Fallen One. It just wasn't possible. We were too late.

 _I_ was too late.

"Summan… he was a _Host_ , but he was punished" I breathed, my voice bitter. "I don't- I don't know what he did, but no one deserves this, no matter what..."

"What can we do to help him?" Allen asked seriously.

"We can't" I shook my head. "While Lenalee was too scared to search further, I asked Komui about exactly _what_ we witnessed… he gave in after a while, and they stop the experiments years ago, but they were never able to save a Fallen One. We can't-"

There was another scream, roaring even louder than before, and I flinched as bright beams of light shot through the missing arm's spots, head and under-body. It started spinning on itself, creating a massive wave of energy and destroying all of the Akumas in the vicinity.

"S-such power…" whispered Allen. "He destroyed all of the Akumas in an instant…"

But another group arrived, the screams came back and the light blinded us again.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled desperately to the _thing_. "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! _FERME LA, BORDEL DE MERDE! PUTAIN, MAIS TAIS TOI! TAIS TOI! TAIS-_ "

"ARY!"

My head swung a little and my cheek stung. Blinking dumbly, I stared at Allen, whose hand was still in the air.

"Allen?"

"Get a hold of yourself!" he scolded harshly. "Summan is your friend, isn't he? Then let's go save him!"

"But-"

"Because it never happened before doesn't mean it won't work!" he cut. "Are you just going to abandon him to this fate? Because if you do, then I don't think you can really call yourself his friend!"

That struck a cord, and anger burned within my very soul. I loved Summan, just like I loved Lenalee, Komui and all the others.

 _Those who abandon the mission are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum._

Gee, thanks, Kakashi.

"As if, Kiddo!" I snapped, getting up. "Any idea?"

He smiled a little in apparent relief, and looked back at the giant source of Innocence.

"It's shooting mindlessly, destroying everything on it's path" he frowned. "It's not good"

"We have to get to the… heart, thingy" I said, my heart finding it's normal rhythm once again. "The body is just a manifestation of his Innocence going berserk. If we can separate the two… there might be a chance"

"Think you can get us up there?" asked the boy.

"You know I can't fly with someone" I shook my head. "But I can try something else. You'll have to hung on tight, though"

He nodded his consent, and jumped to give me a boost. Flying to him, I caught him by his waist and batted my wings harder to keep going up. It was tiring as hell, and really hard to control, but we managed to get to the lower Akumas. There, I jumped on each, giving me a boost up each time and using _Angel_ to go the missing distance. It was dangerous as hell, and really stupid but, in the end, we got to our target.

Taking place on the thorns-like stones sticking out around the heart, I could now clearly see Summan, stuck inside. It was horrible to see, but I gritted my teeth.

"Oi, Old Man!" I called, trying to get his attention. "The hell do you think you're doing, going all berserk on us!?"

Extending my hand to grab him, Allen caught it.

"Wait!" he prompted. "You shouldn't touch anything in that hole"

"It's Innocence, Kiddo" I retorted. "Why would it hurt us? Hey, Summan! Can you hear me?"

Suddenly, another head appeared just above his, a little girl, around Mei-Ling's age.

"Help… me" she pleaded. "Mom…"

She was sucked back in and, without thinking, Allen stuck his arm inside to grab her. He pulled, and managed to get her out. However, at the same time, the liquid-like substance of the heart shot weird tentacles and trapped him, pulling him inside instead.

"Kiddo!"

Extending my hand to grab his, he simply threw the girl at me. I caught her without difficulty.

"Save her!" he ordered.

And he disappeared.

My breath caught in my throat and my head spin.

Did he just… died?

"ALLEN!"

Some sort of vortex formed on the surface of the substance, and I sighed in relief. He might be trapped, but he wouldn't go down so easily. I looked down at the girl in my arms, and frowned. She was hardly breathing.

"You better stay alive, Kiddo" I muttered between my teeth.

Then, cradling the kid in my arms, I took flight towards the village.

"Stay alive" I repeated, taking a deep breath. "Or I swear, I'll kill you"

* * *

As the girl was treated in an emergency room back at the port city, I ate as fast as I could to get back some of my energy. If I couldn't fight, I wouldn't be much help.

I shot a look to where our ship was, still under attack. Seeing the explosions, I easily guessed my friends were still alive. Satisfied with that, I then turned back to the mountains, behind which blasts even stronger than before were echoing.

"Innocence: activate!"

And I flew back once again, my guts churning as the feeling of dread from sooner came back, worse.

"I'm coming, Kiddo, please be alive…"

* * *

I didn't made it really far, as around thirty or so Level Two surrounded me.

"Get the hell out of my way!" I snarled, destroying three of them in a go.

"Kill her! Kill her!"

"Exorcist!"

"She's alone, get her!"

"As if! Feathered Blades!"

Five others exploded, and I grunted. I couldn't use my Second Level because then, I'd be defenseless and unable to help Allen, Summan and the others. However, I didn't have the time to destroy all of them! I sliced through four others, than another two.

"Cha! Take that, bastards!" I pumped my fist in the air. "And- FUCK! _Merde, merde, merde de PUTAIN DE BORDEL DE MERDE! Espèce d'enfoirés_ _!"_

I gripped the side of my waist, were I had just been shot. I could already feel _Angel_ nullifying the poison and closing the wound, but it only took more energy than I could afford to give. Panting, I landed on one of the roofs, and took a look at my Innocence. The rust seemed more present than before, if possible, and it was becoming as bad as Allen's arm.

Fast.

"Damn it" I grunted.

There were still sixteen of them, and a plan formed in my mind. A single attack could work, but I had to make I count, and they could very well shoot to death before I could make my move.

There was a flash of light and the ground started shaking. I didn't have any more time to loose. So, using my amazing acting skills, I dramatically fall to the ground in a thud, playing dead.

I know, I know, I'm a genius.

"She's down!"

"Kill her!"

"Wait! All at once, it might be a trap!"

I gulped imperceptibly, and waited. I could feel their oppressing presences all around me, but they weren't close enough…

Now!"

Darting from the ground, I started spinning on myself with my steeled wings spread wide, slicing through the lot of them in a matter of seconds. I landed back on the earth, slightly dizzy, as they all exploded around me.

"Note… to self…" I gagged, an hand on my mouth. "Never do that… again… Urgh... that's why I hate… rollercoasters…"

However, I returned to serious mode when another beam of light pierced the sky, screams echoing in the distance. My eyes widened slightly. There was another village beyond the mountains. Was it attacking?

Bracing myself for whatever sight was about to greet me, I sped towards the explosions. However, as the body finally came into view, I was blinded by another blast and sent crashing into the nearest mount of rocks, and darkness overcame me.

* * *

 _"…_ _et… p…"_

I shut my eyes harder.

 _"_ _G… up…"_

No, I don't want to get up. Go away! I'm fine, here. It's warm, and confortable, and I'm so _tired_ …

 _"_ _GET UP!"_

"HOLY FUCK!"

I shot in a sitting position, searching in a hazy haste the source of the voice, in vain. I had crashed on a plateau, and there was no one around. So who…

"Summan!"

Remembering just exactly _what_ had caused me to black out in the first place, I slowly got up, looking around. I mean, how hard would a giant, floating, glowing, headless and armless body would be to spot?

I took a step back as the heavy smell of smoke made it's way to my position, and took a deep breath. The village down there had been utterly destroyed, annihilated. I doubt there were survivors. And where the hell was the stupid Fallen One? It couldn't just disappear like that, unless the Innocence…

"Shit! Innocence: activate!"

The wings seemed heavier than before, but I didn't look, instead focusing on finding a trace of Summan and, hopefully, Allen too.

They had to be alive. They just had to.

* * *

A scream echoed, filled with pure _pain_ , and sorrow. I could recognize this voice anywhere.

"ALLEN!"

Flying at the source as fast as I could, I arrived just in time to see a bunch of weird-looking butterflies crashing onto him. Not really thinking, I just in between, spreading my wings as a shield to protect the fallen boy.

They crashed onto my Innocence, and my body shook violently under the vicious attack, and the atrocious agony that ensued.

"God… damn it…" I spat out.

"A…ry?" Allen asked, wide eyes.

"Good to see… you alive too" I breathed out. "What… hap- GAHH!"

Shit, were these butterflies _eating my wings_?

"Ary!"

"Teez"

The attacks stop, but the pain was still there. However, unable to keep them up, I let my wings drag on the ground, panting harshly. Then, I turned my head to the newcomer. The butterflies had all flew towards him and literally entered his opened palms, before two _way_ bigger got out.

"Oh, they've gotten bigger" remarked casually the man.

"That's just creepy" I grunted, my vision a bit blurry.

"No…ah" spat Allen, kneeling to my right.

"Just fucking great…"

That seemed to get his attention, for he walked out of the shadows. I sized him up, unable to shake off the familiar feeling I felt seeing him.

His own eyes widened in surprise.

"Cheating Boy A!" he exclaimed, apparently stunned. "And if it isn't Milady!"

 _I glanced at the man next to me while the poor woman stuttered our apologies._

 _"_ _The lady here already paid for all of them, good sir, and I…"_

 _"_ _It's fine, he can take a few" I assured, handing some over to the gentleman._

 _"_ _All of them?" he repeated, shooting me a curious look._

 _"_ _It's for some friends" I shrugged, finishing to put everything in the baskets. "Cheering them up before tonight and all"_

 _"_ _Thank you anyway" he said, putting his apples in his hat. "I'm heading off on quite a long journey, so…"_

 _"_ _Journey? But where are you going to hide?" asked the old lady._

 _"_ _What do you mean?" he asked back, confused._

 _"_ _The whole city is on lock down right now" I informed. "There's about to get some… trouble, around these parts. I'd suggest you quickly find a hideout before everything blow out of proportions"_

 _"_ _You seem well informed for such a young lady" he casually remarked._

 _"_ _I ain't a lady" I waved it off, balancing the baskets on my arms. "But if you really want to know, well… let's just say that I'll be stuck in the middle of it all, so I really need to be informed"_

 _He nodded, and I lifted everything up at once. For a moment, I was about to loose my balance, but he caught me before I even begin to fall._

 _"_ _Thank you" I beamed at him. "Have a good night ma'am, sir"_

 _I started walking away, balancing the weights of all the full baskets on my arms._

 _"_ _Wait! What is your name?"_

 _"_ _Uh?" I titled my head his way. "I'm Aryane, Aryane Darkelston. And you?"_

 _"_ _Tyki Mikk" he bowed, then straightened back with a smile. "Hope our paths cross again, Milady!"_

 _I snorted at the title, but simply smiled at him before heading back to the base camp._

My breath hitched.

"Tyki… Mikk" I finally recognized him.

"Oh? Remember me, then, Milady?" he asked with a pleasant smile.

"You know him!?" asked Allen.

"Long story" I huffed, sitting. "And of fucking course he's a Noah. Who knows, maybe those Jasdevi guys I met were Noahs too!"

The damn man blinked.

"They are"

There was a moment of silence.

"You really have to stop jinxing, Ary" mumbled Allen.

"Not-a-word" I gritted my teeth. "What the hell do you want now?"

"Ary… he killed Summan" informed angrily my friend.

At that, my eyes flashed.

"He _what_?"

"Hey, don't get angry, Milady" he shook his head. "It's kind of my job, you know?"

"Are you the one who killed Daisya Barry, too?" I snapped his way, slowly getting up.

He eyed me, something like amusement shining in his eyes.

"Yes, I do remember that name" he nodded, thinking back. "Still in Barcelona, I think?"

"Good. I've been waiting for you"

Grabbing one of my feathers, I pulled it out and stabbed him in the head with it. He stared at me, a good head and a half taller than I was, with my steeled blade sticking through his crossed forehead.

"The hell!?"

Suddenly, I felt an oppressing presence in my chest, just were my heart was. Looking down, I saw his entire arm piercing me. There wasn't pain, only great discomfort. Then, still smiling, he pulled out my blade from his skull as if it was a daily routine.

"That wasn't very nice, Milady" he grinned.

Then, his smiled turned sharp, and I cough some blood when I felt his hand close around my heart.

"Touching… a woman's chest without… her permission… isn't nice either" I retorted, coughing in between.

"Let her go!"

Allen shot between us and managed to push him away with his left arm. I stumbled into my friend's arms, and breathed harshly. The Noah seemed stunned at how Allen actually touched him and, next thing I knew, I was sent crashing through a tree.

"Ow…" I mumbled, trying to get up.

A foot descended on my head, rubbing it into the dirt, and I bite back a scream as Tyki loomed over me.

"I need to have a little conversation with Cheating Boy A, Milady" he said, smirking. "And I can't have you interfering right now"

"ARY!"

And then, pain was all I knew.

* * *

"I need to have a little conversation with Cheating Boy A, Milady" he said, smirking. "And I can't have you interfering right now"

"ARY!"

And suddenly, grabbing her right wing, he ripped off before the white haired teen could even think about moving. The redhead's mouth opened in a silent scream as agony filled her features and her face paled dramatically. The Noah tossed the whole thing carelessly a few meters away, the feathers falling apart as if rotting in place.

Then, the whole forest echoed with the screech of pain of the young girl, as she collapsed on the forest floor, the body shaking with spasms.

No tears leaked out, though, much to Tyki's displeasure.

"Won't you show me your tears?" he asked evilly. "Maybe ripping the other one will make it work better…"

"I-don't" she coughed and her breath hit a high-pitched note. "I don't… cry, you bastard. Never… for the likes… of you…"

"Well, ain't that a disappointment" he sighed, lighting a cigarette. "But I'll come and take care of you later, ne?"

With that, he went sitting next to Allen, who was still kneeling in pain and horror despite the state of his friend.

"As you have seen, my whole body can go trough anything" he said, kind of proud. "This is my power, and it's only on things I decide I don't want to touch. That's why I could pass through Milady's body but touch her heart. I was literally inside of her"

"That… sounded _so_ wrong" she had the galls to _snort_.

"Ary, not the time" warned Allen between his teeth.

And suddenly, Tyki's fingers were around _his_ heart.

"How do you think it feels… to have you heart ripped out alive?" asked the man, apparently amused by the whole ordeal.

The boy stayed silent.

"Tell me… how does it feel?"

There was a moment of silence, merely interrupted by the sharp gasps of the girl. Then, Tyki's eyes widened as the teen leveled his eyes to his, perfectly calm.

"You don't care, do you?" the Noah sweatdropped heavily at that. "But! I won't rip your heart out. That would get my glove dirty"

"Geez, don't we feel appreciated" grunted the older Exorcist.

"Normally, I just let Teez devour them" added the Noah, ignoring her.

"So comforting" she mumbled.

The girl clenched her fists a little. If Tyki decided to kill them, he could do so in the blink of an eye. She couldn't fight him off with one wing and her body wouldn't even answer to her commands, all control shut down because of the pain.

"Sarcastic little thing, aren't you?" asked Tyki her way, tilting his head in wonder. "I understand better why Road found you interesting too"

"I know, I've got… that effect, on people. Everyone can't help but… love me" she retorted, finally managing to sit against a tree.

"Normally?" asked Allen, bringing back the conversation on tracks.

"Ah, you hadn't heard? Rumors about your friends who died with their internal organs taken out?"

At that, Aryane glared at him.

"Daisya Barry" he smirked her way. "Kazaana Reed, Chakar Rabon. I didn't do that to Summan Dark, though, seeing as he helped me. I simply put a Teez inside of him and made him a breading ground. Thanks to that, I got a few more. Oh, and pretty sure I got a certain Yeegar Marshall too. Didn't kill him right off, though"

"You sick bastard" spat the girl, apparently more talkative than her companion. " _Quand je mettrais mes mains sur toi, je vais te faire payer pour chacune des vies que tu as prises avant de te tuer si horriblement que tu vas me supplier d'en finir, espèce de fils de pute…"_

He blinked at her.

"French?"

"How… how dare you…" muttered Allen.

"Eh, what's the matter, Boy?" Tyki turned back to him.

"Everyone…"

"Oh, I get it" the man's smile widened. "You hadn't heard!"

At that, Allen seemed to snap, and pushed him away once more, before trying to hit him. Tyki caught his fist, eyes sharpening at the attack.

"I won't forgive you!" exclaimed angrily the teen.

"Man, didn't think you had that much power left" remarked Tyki, not even flinching when the boy put more strength in his fist.

He then revered the positions, forcing him to kneel while he got up.

"Kiddo!" exclaimed Aryane.

She tried to move, but fall back with a sharp hiss.

"But, as you are now, the both of you…"

There was a sickening crack as he broke the teen's wrist, and the girl looked away, utterly disgusted. Allen howled, collapsing.

"It's too bad, really. If you had met me when I was 'white', I would've wanted to play another round of cards" he sighed, taking out a Joker

 _When he was white?_ Repeated Aryane. _I never played cards against strangers since months, except whe-_

"You mean you're that guy _too_!?" she exclaimed, annoyed. "How the hell did you pull _that_ off!?"

"Oh, you're brighter than I gave you credit for" he realized with a lazy smile.

"Why is everyone always acting so surprise… not the point! Since when have you been following us?" she clenched her fists.

"I never did" he shook his head. "All of our encounters were pure coincidences. However, I've been travelling around for some time, now, killing anyone involved with a certain man"

The card in his hands stopped spinning on itself, and he smiled at the boy.

"Are you Allen Walker?"

Silence ensued.

 _This is horrible_ , thought Allen, his hand shaking. _I can't even stand up now, let alone move. Ary is in a worst shape too, she won't be able too fight with a missing wing… If I was stronger…_

Annoyed by the lack of response, Tyki roughly grabbed his neck and lifted him from the ground.

"Answer me" he ordered. "Are you Allen Walker?"

"That is correct…" chanted a weird little voice coming from the card. "This person is Allen Walker… delete… delete…"

"This is Cell Roron" briefly explained the Noah. "He's called the prisoner of the List Cell. He's told me who you are. You are my target"

A blinding light illuminated the clearing as a crackling sound and a scream resonated in the background.

"ALLEN!" Aryane tried to go to his aid, but her legs gave up before she could even make a step, sending her rolling in the dust.

"Let's start with that Innocence of yours" smirked Tyki.

"STOP IT!"

And suddenly, the light turned off, the scream died down, and the arm fell on the ground with a 'THUD'. Pale, Ary wanted to throw up as Allen didn't answer to the outer world anymore. Had he been in the same pain as she had been sooner?n God, she hoped not. She wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Well, except Tyki. And Lulubell. And Road. And the Millennium Earl.

Anyway.

"You know what, Boy? We, Noahs, can destroy Innocence" Tyki affirmed, walking to the limb. "I've destroyed every Innocence fragment I've gathered so far. If one of them was the Heart, than that would all the fragments in the world. That's how we'd know if it was the one. Now then, what about _your_ Innocence?"

He looked back to the teen, near which was laying another fragment.

"That's Summan's Innocence, right?" he asked. "And there's yours too, Milady, still in your other wing… If I destroyed one of them, and the other two disappeared too, then it would mean it was the Heart"

"Don't you fucking dare, Mikk" she spat, struggling to make her way to him.

"Oh? And who's going to stop me?" he grinned madly at that, his hand crackling again.

"DON'T!"

But she didn't make it in time. There was a flash of light once again, and the Innocence turned to mere dust in his deadly grip while he laughed like a madman.

"So, was it the Heart?" he asked, apparently in a good mood.

Instantly, she snapped her eyes to Summan's Innocence and, even if it was selfish, she couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"Darn, guess not. But well, my mission this time was assassination, nothing else"

She swallowed the bile in her throat at that. Assassination? Wait, didn't he say Allen was his target? But that meant…

"You won't lay one of your dirty finger on him" she assured, her voice sounding more confident than she really was.

"A…ry"

"Stay down, Kiddo, and let me handle the bastard" she seethed, placing herself between the two.

It was a truly pitiful sight, with the girl barely able to stand up, one of her wings not even five meters away and the other one rotting while still attached, her limbs shaking under the mere effort it took her to even move.

"Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete!" chanted the Cell Roron.

"Hai, hai, I'm on it" Tyki rolled his eyes, fully turning to face her.

She looked down at her friend, worried, and not exactly believing that they'd make it out alive this time. Then, she saw Timcanpy, and exchanged a look with her friend. Both knew their end of the story was near, but they'd be damn if they let another Innocence be destroyed.

"Timcanpy… run" ordered breathlessly the boy. "Take Summan's Innocence… and bring it back to the others…"

The little golden Golem refused, and the girl clenched her fists.

"Just go!" she snapped. "And end this damn mission once and for all!"

There was a moment of silence, before the flying ball swallowed the Innocence fragment before flying away.

Tyki seemed surprised for a moment.

"Well, that was a smart thing to do" he admitted.

* * *

"Of course it was, I'm a genius" I taunted.

My voice was brave, harsh, hardly showing the real fear and yet cold determination swirling inside of me. However, Tyki seemed more amused than anything else.

"I can guess what you were thinking when sending that Golem away" he said, advancing slowly towards us: I'm done for, but I need to at least sent the Golem to my friends. You've prepared yourself to die, didn't you?"

"I won't just let you kill him!" I assured, ready to strike.

He was now just in front of me. However, before I could even think about moving, he had shoved me aside and literally stuck my entire arm into another tree, using his ability to trap me there.

"Fuck!"

I tried to free myself, but the bark had reformed all around, rending me unable to get away.

"You see, Milady" he picked up his hat. "I'd kill you, really, but seeing as you're someone else's target, I'm not allowed too. So, instead, you'll sit there like a good girl and watch me kill your friend!"

"You fucking asshole! Don't touch him!" I struggled, ripping my skin over the bark.

His smirk simply widened as some sunrays fall onto the clearing. He kneeled next to Allen, and I struggled harder. There was a distant 'CRACK' and I gasped as sharp pain washed over me once again.

I broke my arm.

"Now, pray to your God, if you'd like, Boy" said Tyki, looming over my friend without even sparing me a glance. "But he isn't there. Teez"

"No! Don't do it! Allen, move, damn it!" I yelled, trying to get him to do something.

I was ready to die here with him, but surviving and going back to the others with his corpse on my back? I wouldn't be able to do it. Call me selfish, call me despicable, but I couldn't live while he died here. It just wasn't _fair_.

"Don't eat him" said Tyki, placing the butterfly on my friend's chest. "Just pierce a hole in his heart"

"STOP IT!"

My bone cracked even louder as my blood smeared on the tree and the ground, but I couldn't care less right now.

"I feel like I should give courageous people like you some time before they die" announced Tyki, an insane glint in his eyes. "The blood will flow from your heart, your body will fill with terror, and you'll die, suffering all along the way"

In one swift movement, Tyki pierced him from side to side, and Allen arched his back, spitting blood.

"ALLEN!"

The tree finally gave in as I managed to rip my limb out, and I propelled myself at the Noah, anger blinding my judgment. He caught me by the throat without even looking, and slowly stood up as I choked in his vice-like grip.

"Oh? Ready to shed some tears, now?" he asked viciously.

"Like… hell!"

And, believe it or not, but I managed to hit him square in the face. He stumbled, but his hold only tightened. Black spots danced in my vision, the corpse of my white haired friend in the corner of my eye, and I started laughing hysterically.

"That's… for Daisya!" I spat, wheezing a little. "Had a bet to… honor…"

"That actually hurt, Milady" he frowned. "I keep underestimating you and your friends, which is quite annoying. And I can't kill you either, because Jasdevi would have my head"

"You me-mean… I'm these… moron's tar-target?" my voice sounded oddly high-pitched.

"Correct" he admitted, shrugging. "But I want to make them run some more, so I won't snitch on you right away. Guess I'll see you around then, Milady!"

He dropped me on the ground, and something snapped around my neck. Not really paying attention, I coughed as the air suddenly filled my lungs once more. After finally calming down my heartbeat, I realized he wasn't there anymore.

"A… Allen!"

Turning to the boy, I crawled my way to his side, noticing for a second the missing button on his coat.

 _Okay, so not the time for fashion sense._

Placing my head on his chest in one last surge of hope, I had to come to an understanding.

Allen... Allen was dead.

Choking down a sob, my eyes stayed stubbornly dry as I buried my head on his chest, not even a drop of blood tainting his coat. After a few minutes, footsteps were heard, and I froze in place, afraid Tyki had come back. At the same time, though, a weird noise made itself heard.

 _Th-ump_

"Hey!"

I frowned a little, forgetting all about the newcomer, and listened closer.

 _T-hump._

It was so faint, so distant…

"Are you two okay?"

 _Thump._

I felt my heartbeat fasten as I realized it came from Allen's chest.

"Are you two Exorcists?"

 _Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

"Help him!" I cried at the woman who just appeared by my sides. "He's still alive, please help him!"

She frowned, but nodded nowadays, and lifted him up on her back. We started moving, slowly.

"Are you with the Black Order?" I asked hopefully.

"Asian Branch" she confirmed. "We're not too far from Headquarters. Are you injured too?"

For only answer, I showed what was left of my Innocence. Her eyes widened slightly, and she nodded stiffly.

"Can you walk?"

"Lead the way" I simply ordered. " If I fall, he's the priority"

"Got it"

* * *

We walked for what seemed like hours, and I could feel my body giving in more and more at each step. There were still no signs of Headquarters, but the woman seemed to know where she was going.

After another minute, I couldn't take it anymore, and let myself slipped to the ground. She turned to me, alarmed.

"Take… him…" I repeated.

I'm so tired… Sleep… yeah, sleeping sounds good…

* * *

 **So, that was one of the longest chapter for now, and I really hope you liked it. Also, you have to understand: Ary was weak, yes, but only because her Innocence had already began detaching itself from her, a lot like Allen but really not the same -you'll understand in later chapters. Also, the reason why her Innocence didn't disapear is merely because it hid in the wing that was left, and that's that.**

 **French traduction:"Shut up, fucking hell! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT-"**

 **"When I'll get my hands on you, I'll make you pay for each life you took before killing you so horribly that you'll beg for me to end it, you son of a bitch..."**

 **Question:Can anyone tell me how Allen never understood that Tyki was the guy form the train? I mean, seriously: he's the only once calling him 'Cheating Boy A', whatever that's supposed to mean.**

 **REVIEWS!**


	21. Eye(s) Of A Bookman

**Okay, a little interlude from Lavi's point of view, as the title indicated. And, I'll be honest, I find said title hilarious. Must be because I'm tired, though...**

 **Answer: Allen's an idiot, that's why.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Lavi always had an easy-going personality. He could make everyone smile as he goofed around, and he was always the first to help his friends when they needed to lift their spirits.

Aryane had been the first and only to see through his happy-go-lucky façade. Despite his dazzling smile and charming personality, she had seen behind his eternal mask and discovered the truth of the Bookmen. However, she never hated him for it. She never liked it, but she understood, and she always tried to be there for him, no matter his decisions.

What he liked about her is that she never lied to herself. She never belated herself in false hopes and illusions. She believed in one goal, and only one, and she stuck to it like a leech, no matter what happened. Even if, sometimes, she was even darker than himself –which worried him, to be honest-, her loyalty and honesty was what made them so close.

She was the only one with who he felt like himself, whoever 'himself' was, that is.

But now?

Now, she was gone.

One moment she's there, smiling and cursing and playing cards against him. The next, she's fighting one Akuma after the other, never loosing her cool or her sharp sense of humor. And then, she's flying to the rescue –quite literally- of their friend, and her spread wings are the last thing he saw of her.

When the attack on the ship had ceased, he went for her and Allen with Lenalee, both worried sick.

No news are good news, right?

What a joke.

When they got there, only Timcanpy remained, chased by Akumas. Quickly destroying them, the Golem then leaded them to where the two were supposed to be. However, when they got there, only a pool of dried blood, a wing rotten to the core and a very familiar necklace remained.

Timcanpy showed them what had happened, starting with the apparition of the Fallen One to Aryane and Allen's separation, Summan's saving and death, and the girl coming back. They saw the Noah, couldn't hear what was said. They saw when she lost control and attacked him, only for him to _stick his arm through her chest_. She wasn't dead, though, but a few seconds later and her wing was ripped apart.

When he saw her face, pale and contorted in pain, he felt so _sick_. He had to watch, though. He had to make sure that, somewhat, they were safe. That _she_ was safe.

Everything went downwhile after that, though. The Noah destroyed Allen's Innocence before saying something that made the redheaded girl snap. She stood between him and Allen, lying on the ground, ready to protect him with her life if she had too. And then, she barked her orders at Timcanpy and the Golem flew, therefore ending the recorded memory.

Lavi took the necklace but they burned the wing, knowing she wouldn't be able to use it anymore and that it wasn't her Innocence. There were no proofs whatsoever that they were dead, and no bodies were found, which was a plus.

It didn't stayed that way for long.

* * *

As soon as they got back to the ship, a scientist from the Asian Branch had informed them that they found their friends. Unclear answers were all they got, but they could only conclude that, dead or not, Aryane and Allen wouldn't be Exorcists anymore, what with the boy's Innocence destroyed and the girl's in pieces. And that was if they weren't already cold corpses under a white sheet.

After that, Miranda –who had just joined them as replacement- repaired the ship, and they were back on their way to find the Marshall. Lenalee hadn't uttered a word since, even when they got the new uniforms, and even if Lavi felt his heart wrench in pain at each second passing, he tried to get over it.

"It's light and easy to move around in!" he remarked, jumping in place.

"I was asked to give them to you since I'm sure your uniforms are all a mess" answered Miranda.

She got up, but froze at Lenalee's sight. The poor girl was sitting in the stairs, gaze fixed on nothingness. She looked like a person dead inside, but with the body still there.

"Her heart is still in disarray" said Bookman. "Miss Lena regrets that she hadn't gone after Allen and Ary last night. She blames herself"

At that, Lavi gritted his teeth. Blamed… herself?

Angry, annoyed, sad, grieving, no one could tell, but the hurt was too much and next thing he knew, he had struck his fist through the window. There was a shattering noise as the glass shards fell on the floor.

"Enough" he snapped. "It couldn't be helped! We were- we were fighting for our lives last night, there was no way we could've save them! It's a war, _it_ _can't be helped!_ Give up and stand! _"_

Lenalee's eyes widened, before tears finally ran down her face. Instantly, Lavi's anger vanished as the other three Exorcists stared at him accusingly.

"You made her cry" they whispered darkly.

The second after, the old panda was strangling him.

"So sorry, Miss Lena! I'll punish him very harshly!" he assured. "Calm down, idiot!"

Lavi narrowed his eyes.

"Why? I'm not wrong-"

He was sent crashing on the carpet with a powerful hit on the back of his head.

"Do you think you're a disciple of God now?" asked quietly his grandfather. "You are the successor of Bookman, nothing else. I told you to remain an observer at all times! War lies behind all history, and it is because of war that history happens. The Bookmen are those who remains unattached, tied down by nothing as they impartially record everything that occurs. Don't be caught up in the war. We are merely on the side of the church to record what happens. Don't forget your goal, Lavi"

"… I know. Sorry"

Instantly, he was hit a few more times by the older man.

"Even so, I can't believe that the child who was prophesized to be the 'Destroyer of Time' died. It was because I was interested in him that I asked the Head of the department to let us into the Cross Squad. I thought that the 'Time' in the title might refer to someone specific. Time… the Millennium Earl… I thought Allen Walker would be the one to destroy him, which means there's no way he would die here" at that, the old man smiled.

Lavi got up and dusted his clothes, before sighing.

"I'm going to take some air" he announced, walking out.

* * *

Leaning on the edge of the ship, Lavi rested his head on his left hand, the right one twirling Aryane's necklace.

"I warned you to stay unattached"

He stopped playing with the necklace, taking it in his fist.

"… she was different"

"We are Bookmen. We don't-"

"She knew!" he snapped, finally turning to his grand-father. "She knew about our true nature, and she never liked it, but she understood nowadays! She always was there for all of us, supported us as much as she could, but when she needed _our_ help, we couldn't give it to her and now, she's _dead!"_

There was a moment of silence between the two, and Lavi's grip tightened on the pendant.

"No matter… no matter what you said, I couldn't stay detached from _her_. Why? Why was she- _is_ she different from the others? Why, even after being killed, can't I get her out of my fucking mind!?"

They held each other's gaze for a moment, before the old panda sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I should have seen that one coming" he muttered.

"W-what? What are you talking about, Ji-ji?" demanded Lavi, now confused.

"Will come a day when you will have to choose between her or your destiny, Lavi. I hope that, comes this time, you will make the good choice" simply said Bookman, walking back inside.

"What the hell? Ji-ji! Ji-ji, you can't- What are you talking about!? Ji-ji!"

But he simply ignored his cries and closed the door. Annoyed, Lavi looked down at the necklace in his hand, thinking about his grandfather's words.

"Choose… choose what?" he asked quietly.

But then, he stiffened. Choosing? What was there to choose? She was dead!... wasn't she?

"Lavi?"

"Hey, Crow-chan" he turned to the man.

"Are you… alright?" the eldest asked, carefully picking his words. "I know Ary and you were close…"

"… She was like my annoying little sister" the redhead admitted, a bittersweet smile on his lips. "Can't help but like her, eh?"

However, at his words, Krory's head tilted in confusion.

"Sister?" he repeated. "I thought- I just- oh…"

"What did you think?" Lavi scratched the back of his head, very confused too.

"It's just… I thought you two were together" said Krory plainly.

"Together… like _together_ together?"

The vampire-like man nodded, apparently embarrassed by his conclusions, and Lavi took a step back, shaking his head very fast.

"N-no! Of course not! Why would we- Tenshi and I- we're not-" he couldn't even find the words, ironic for a future Bookman. "Why the hell would you think that!?"

"I'm sorry!" Krory waved hi hands. "It's just… the way you two acted together… and how you looked at her…"

"How I _looked at her_?" repeated Lavi, before pinching the bridge of his nose. "And how, pray tell, was I looking at her?"

At that, however, Krory seemed to calm down, and he smiled softly.

"The same way I looked at Eliade" he answered.

Silence ensued once again, as the apprentice Bookman choked on his own breath. He wanted to say something, but couldn't manage a sound.

"… That's crazy" he finally croaked out after a few seconds. "She's just- we're just…"

"I'm sorry for bringing it up" Krory shook his head. "I'll head back inside to catch some sleep. You should too"

"… right. 'Night, Crow-chan"

"Good night, Lavi"

He walked back inside, leaving the poor boy to his thoughts.

Him and Tenshi? How he looked at her like Krory looked at Eliade? That was stupid! He means, who the hell can Krory even know how he looked like while watching his Akuma lover? It was just plainly cra-

Doubt slithered around his thoughts. Was that what Bookman meant when he said that sooner? Between her or his destiny? And why should he choose anyway? She was dead, for God's sake! Dead, dead, de-

His eye widened, hope wrenching his heart despite everything as his train of thoughts from sooner came back. The way his grandfather just talked about her, or the smile he made sooner when talking about Allen…Bookman knew something, but wouldn't tell. The scientist from the morning had been very vague, merely stating that Allen and her wouldn't come back. But did that meant they were dead? There was a good chance they weren't.

That _she_ wasn't.

And then, he smiled, suddenly at peace, and brought the pendant against his heart.

Of course Ary was alive. Who was he kidding? She wouldn't be killed that easily, and she wouldn't let Allen die either. They were both okay. _She_ was okay.

But wait. Where did _that_ put him? Now that he knew she was alive –the fact seemed more evident the more he thought about it-, the remarks from sooner came back to haunt him. He bit his lower lip, letting his eye wander on the necklace once again.

"… love?"

Instantly, he scoffed at the ludicrous idea. Why the hell would he love Tenshi? Him? Her? She was just his friend, right?

Right?

Sure, she was funny, and understanding, and compassionate, honest, loyal, strong-hearted, sometimes foolish, yes.

Always staying strong no matter the circumstances, always there for others, always ready to give a chance to anyone who asked for it.

She had a hot temper and a reckless attitude, and a wicked sarcasm that made him laugh every time.

She was borderline crazy, sometimes plain dumb.

She cursed worse than a sailor no matter the reason, yelled in French when she was angry, stomped her foot and huffed like a child when annoyed.

She grieved, never cried. She smiled and laughed and her mere voice-

Lavi started banging his head on the rail.

"Damn it"

He was _so_ whipped.

And where did _that_ lead him, now?

* * *

 _"_ _W… e… p…"_

What?

 _"_ _Wa… up…"_

I can't hear you, talk louder… Or don't, I'm fine where I am right now. It's warm... and com-

" _WAKE UP!"_

I snapped my eyes opened, taking in a sharp intake of breath.

* * *

 **So, Lavi now understands his true feelings, yay! And of course, Ary will go through her own denial phase too *evil smirk*. Also, for those who might think it was too sudden: Lavi never fell in love, so he can't really tell the difference between what he's feeling for Aryane or, for exemple, Lenalee. If asked directly, he'll think and then come to some conclusions -like how Aryane and Lenalee aren't the same to him- but if not, I'm pretty much convinced he's just plain dumb when it comes to these sorts of things.**

 **Question: Who will make the first move? *wink, wink***

 **Reviews please!**


	22. To Live Or To Die, Such Is The Question

**Now entering the Asian Branch! However, I won't linger really long on that part. You'll see what I mean when you read this.**

 **Answer: Not telling! ;-)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _I'm… alive!_

Allen opened his eyes, shocked, to say the least. Slowly sitting up, he looked down at his right hand, the other one not exactly in place anymore.

 _Why… am I still alive? That Noah should have killed me… It felt as though I was dying, a feeling I couldn't get away from… no matter how much I wanted too… That… that was definitely death!_

Feeling sick, he started shaking.

Dying.

He almost died.

Tears ran down his face.

 _Why am I crying? Is being alive a good thing? A bad thing? My shivering just won't stop… Mana…_

Suddenly, he remembered something else, and he stiffened.

 _Ary! She was there too… the Noah had trapped her, but I don't remember what he told her… is she okay?_

He got out of bed despite the pain and discomfort.

 _I have to find her… and move forward… never stop moving, keep going onward… She was screaming, did he kill her too? I can't remember… I have to keep walking… go onward… don't stop… Ary, are you okay? Mana, I promised… I won't stop… Ary… No matter what happened, I would keep going… I would move forward… but… where to?_

He kept walking, his feet dragging him onward. Not really realizing it, he soon reached a gigantic room with an equally gigantic door. He climbed the tree steps, reaching it, but the door wouldn't move. He couldn't stop, though. He had to keep walking…

"That door won't open when you push it"

Surprised, the white-haired Exorcist turned his head to the source of the voice, only to find a blond man sitting against one of the pillars.

"Interested in something here?" the man asked.

* * *

 _"_ _W… e… p…"_

What?

 _"_ _Wa… up…"_

I can't hear you, talk louder… Or don't, I'm fine where I am right now. It's warm... and com-

" _WAKE UP!"_

I snapped my eyes opened, taking in a sharp intake of breath.

"Ary!"

I turned my head to the side so fast I swear something cracked. Wincing a little, I let myself fall back on the bed.

Wait, bed?

"K-Kiddo?" my voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used for some time now. "Where are we…"

"You are at the Asian Branch"

I turned, more slowly this time, to the other presence, and I smiled a little.

"Hey, Stalker-chan" I greeted the blond man. "How's life going?"

"You haven't change" he shook his head. "And I told you to stop calling me that!"

"How are you feeling?" asked Allen, ignoring our banter.

"No idea" I admitted honestly.

Bak helped me in a sitting position, and I cringed when my eyes caught the missing limb of my white haired friend. But then, I remembered that we were in the same boat and, almost afraid to look, I gazed at my wing.

Instantly, I looked away, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth. It was as if the remaining of my Innocence had rotten on my back. The feathers were darkening, falling in crumbles, and I couldn't move it without a sharp pain shaking my whole body.

After a few seconds, I took back control over my emotions.

"What's going to happen, now?" I simply asked to Bak. "We both can't use our Innocence. What _can_ we do?"

"Actually, my Innocence is still there" Allen shook his head. "It's kind of complicated, but I've been working to get it back in shape for some time now"

"Some time?" I repeated. "How long was I out for?"

"Two weeks, more or less" answered the Head of the Asian Branch. "Walker, you should head for your training session with For. I have some things to discuss with Ary"

"Right. I'll come and see you later, okay?" the teen placed his hand on my head and smile.

"Just go, you moron" I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled at little, and walked out. As soon as the door closed, my smile dropped and I turned to Bak.

"I want a straight answer" I said seriously. "Will I be able to fight again?"

"Your right wing was ripped apart, and your left one is disaggregating itself at an alarming pace" he frowned, checking his notes. " _Angel_ is trying to regenerate, but something seems to block the process. If we don't find a solution, and fast, there's a good chance your Innocence won't be usable anymore"

"Geez, so much for a straight answer" I grunted. "What _can_ I do?"

"Rest" he retorted, getting up. "You can't do much to help. Eat, sleep, take a walk around if you really want to, but don't overexert yourself. With your Innocence trying to heal and the strange virus, even the littlest exercises will exhaust you"

"Oh, fun" I drawled, letting myself fall back on the bed.

He sighed, and put away his clipboard.

"We have our best scientists on this" he assured. "But with Allen's condition, they don't have much time. I'm afraid you'll be here for while"

At that, I looked away.

"… right. Thanks, Stalker-chan"

"… I'll come later" he shook his head, before heading out.

Once he was away, I sighed heavily and grabbed my neckl-

Wait. Where the hell was my necklace?

Looking down, I realized that it wasn't around my neck anymore. I gazed around the room, but soon gave up. I knew Bak would have left it with me if I still had it. I clenched my fist, and took a deep breath. It was just a stupid lucky charm, nothing more.

Then, my eyes wandered on my wing again, and I rubbed my temples.

What the hell was happening to me?

* * *

Walking around with crutches, I explored the Asian Headquarters without much interest. I never had been here before, and only met Bak and Won when they came to the European Headquarters to meet with Komui. And, more precisely, when he was stalking Lenalee.

It was kind of creepy, seeing as he was way older than her, but it's not like he was making a move or anything, and he was a really nice guy.

A creeper, yes, but a nice guy nowadays.

A strange sound caught my attention. Curious, I made my way towards the source. As I approached, I could make out the distinct noise of slicing blades and fighting. After another minute, I finally arrived to what seemed like a training field, where Allen was fighting with a weird-looking woman…

"Holy shit, are her arms _blades_?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes to get a better view.

She suddenly passed above his head and kicked him so hard it sent him flying on the few meters. I winced, but didn't say a word. The woman scoffed, and I realized she was the one who had rescued us in the forest.

"Here I come!"

She ran at him once again, and I spotted a girl with a scientist coat spying behind one of the pillars. Two other boys with the same uniform were crouching next to her. Curious, bored, I had no idea, but I went to her, hoping she would answer some of my questions.

"Err… hello" I waved despite the crutches.

They jumped out of their skin, and turned to me with a frightened air. Then, the one with the brown hair seemed to recognize me, because his eyes lightened in understanding.

"Lady Exorcist" he greeted. "You shouldn't walk around just yet"

"Meh, I'm fine" I shrugged it off. "Falling to pieces, can't walk without the crutches, an horrible headache and one one my wing who-knows-where, but I'm okay, promise"

The three of them sweatdropped heavily at that, making me snicker a little.

"Anyway, I'm Aryane, but just call me Ary" I presented my hand.

The Asian one shook it with a small smile.

"Shifu" he answered. "And these are Rikei and Rohfa. We're scientists of the Asian Branch"

"We're also the ones assigned to your and Allen Walker's case" added the girl, readjusting her glasses.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is he fighting?" I asked, watching the duel unfold.

"Well, to put things simple, his Innocence wasn't destroyed, but rather reduced to a particle-like state" answered Rikei. "When he fights, he's able to reform his arm because of the adrenaline and sense of danger. We're trying to get it back to it's basic form, though"

"And there hasn't been much progress either" Rohfa shook her head sadly.

"What the hell are you doing!? Put your spirit into it, your spirit!" yelled the woman, attacking even harder.

"I'd take a guess and say she's the one named 'For'" I said.

"You'd be correct" nodded Shifu. "She was the one assigned to train Walker-san, seeing as she's the only capable fighter we got"

"Oh, right" I blinked. "I forgot you didn't have Exorcists here. Scientific Headquarters, right?"

There was a scream that brought my attention back to the fight, and I stiffened when I saw the woman falling on him, blades high and ready to strike the fatal blow. There was a flash of blinding light and, suddenly, Allen's arm was there, effectively blocking the attack.

"Yes!" cheered For. "That's the spirit!"

However, at her second attack, the arm disappeared.

"It turned to mist again?" she gritted her teeth.

"I'm not done yet! Please" said Allen, standing up.

"Well said!"

They were about to jump at each other's throat again when Bak's voice echoed through a Golem I hadn't remarked until now.

 **"** **Stop right there"**

There was a moment of silence as the both of them froze midway, and all turned to the Golem.

 **"** **You've been training for twenty's hours. Today's session is complete"**

"But I can still keep going!" protested Allen. "I want to keep going!"

 **"** **You need to rest, Walker. Got it?"**

For's arms went back to normal –if arms without actual hands and fingers can be considered normal- and Allen looked down.

"… hai"

 **"** **Good. And Ary kind ran off on her own, you should probably find her before she faints or something"**

"God, Stalker-chan, I ain't about to die" I called, walking out of my hiding spot.

There was an annoyed grunt on the other side.

 **"** **Of course you'd be here. Go back to your room and rest, Ary"**

"But you told me I could take a look around" I replied. "And I can't just stay in bed!"

"I'll take care of her" assured For, placing her… err, hand, on my shoulder. "Walker, go rest some and we'll train later"

"… okay"

As he walked by, I stopped him and forced him to look me in the eyes.

"If you die from exhaustion now, we won't be able to get to the others later, and I ain't going back without you" I warned. "Explaining why to the others would be a real drag"

He managed a smile at my words, and nodded, seeming more convinced now.

"Got it. See you later, Ary"

"Later!"

I waved with my right crutch as he walked away, and the three scientists discreetly disappeared, leaving me with the woman, who was eying me strangely.

I bowed despite the sharp pain in my back.

"I thank you for the assistance your provided" I ceremoniously stated.

"… right"

At that, I stood up.

"Hey, I'm trying to act all high and mighty here, give me some credit!" I whined.

She chuckled at little, and I finally sat on the ground, hiding my shaking legs from her view.

"Seriously, though, thanks" I sighed. "I don't think we'd have made it if it hadn't been for you"

"No problem, kid" she answered. "I wanted to tell you something, though"

"What is it?"

"When I came back there, your other wing wasn't there anymore" she bit her lower lip.

But at that, I smiled.

"It's okay, I wouldn't have been able to reattach it anyway" I replied. "Lavi must have found it and burned it… I asked him to do so if it ever came to it. Have you warned our friends about our situation?"

"Won did" she confirmed. "Why do you have crutches? I don't remember your legs being injured…"

"Oh, they weren't" I assured. "It's just that, with only my left wing, I don't have much balance, so…"

"Why don't you deactivate your Innocence, then?" she frowned.

"I can't" I shook my head. "If I do… I don't think I'd be able to activate it again and, for all we know, it could accelerate the virus's progression"

She hummed in understanding, and helped me up.

"You're already exhausted" she grunted, pointing at my still shaking legs. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room. Don't want you fainting here, do we?"

"I don't _faint_ , I _black out_. There's a difference" I insisted, huffing a little. "Fainting is for the feeble hearted and the ladies, and I ain't any of those"

She snorted at that, making me grin.

* * *

On the rest of the way, we exchanged stories about our dear Stalker-chan –she was dying from laughter when I explained the nickname- and honestly, this woman was just killing me.

Wheezing from laughter, I had trouble to stay on my feet.

"You're… you're just awesome" I choked.

 **"** **Glad to see you're bonding and all, but you're supposed to** ** _rest_** **in your** ** _room_** **, Ary"** drawled Bak's voice above our heads.

"Sorry, Stalker-chan, we were just talking about how Lenalee admires you" I smirked evilly to the Golem.

There was a weird noise on the other side, then a 'BANG', a loud 'THUD' and finally Won screaming his name in the background.

"Bet his hives are hitting" I snickered.

"You know what, kid? I think we're going to get along pretty well" For laughed along. "But he's right, it'd just be stupid if you died in the hallway because you were to stubborn for your own good"

I rolled my eyes at the drama, faintly remembering my words to Allen from sooner, and we finally got to my room.

"We'll talk some more later then?" I asked.

"Sure" she shrugged walking.

"Wait!"

She turned to me, curious.

"When you went back for my wing… did you found a necklace lying around? It's really simple, just a button on a chain" I asked hopefully.

"Nothing of the sort, sorry" she shook her head.

I offered a slightly forced smile. If she noticed, she didn't pointed it out.

"Oh, it's okay. Thanks for everything, Nasturtium!"

* * *

I didn't stayed still for long, of course. Staying in my room would mean doing nothing, and doing nothing would lead me to think.

Thinking wasn't exactly something I wanted to do right now.

So, fleeing my own mind, I wandered the base once again, not exactly knowing where to go but keeping myself occupied. After a few minutes, I reached a room where a familiar voice echoed. There were hitting noises too, so it was easy to guess it was a training room. Pushing the door opened, I cringed a little when Allen hit too hard and broke one of the training dummies.

"You know, the dummies aren't going to take over the world, no need to be so harsh on them" I taunted, entering the room.

"A-Ary!" he turned to me, surprise. "Weren't you supposed to rest?"

"I could say the same to you" I retorted. "I-"

"I can't take it"

Surprised at the new voice, we both turned our heads to the closed doors.

"Allen Walker's situation. It's useless to try and restore Innocence. We should just kick him out of the Asian Branch"

"Come on, knock it off" replied another. "The director already refused. It can't be helped. And if you think about it, the most problematic one is Head Bak. Despite the lack of results, he's still covering for Walker"

"And with the other one too, what do they think we are, miracle workers? A-A… Aryane Dark-something, right? She lost half of her Innocence, and the other one is _rotting_ like some bad fruit! I've never seen anything like this before, they're both lost causes!"

Annoyed, I opened the doors, revealing myself. Their eyes widened as they sweated heavily.

"L-Lady Exorcist!"

"As… enlightening, as this conversation is, I do believe our 'lost causes' are also those of us, Exorcists, and that without _us_ , you wouldn't be here to begin with" I remarked with a bitter smile. "So, instead of bashing absurdities into some kid's skull, how about you actually do your damn job so we can go back to ours, ne?"

"R-right! Our apologies, Lady Exorcist!" they bowed, apparently frightened.

"Shoo"

They ran with their tails between their legs, and I sighed heavily, before going back inside. Taking a seat, I looked at Allen, who's face had gotten incredibly darker in a matter of seconds.

"Come here"

He obliged and sat next to me. Crossing my legs, I faced him, and hit him with one of my crutches.

"Itai!" he rubbed the sore spot. "What was that for!?"

"What they're saying is stupid" I assured. "If you keep working hard and believe in yourself, then results will come. If you let go now, then you abandon our friends, still after the damn womanizer. You can't let the slow progress bring you down"

"But that's the problem!" he exclaimed, annoyed. "There is _no_ progress to begin with!"

"Kiddo, you're saying that to the one who most probably won't ever go back on the field again" I retorted.

"W-what?"

His anger died down somewhat, and he eyed my wing carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't regenerate anymore" I shook my head. "And at the rate it's going, I'll be dead before next month"

"Don't say that!" he protested, horrified. "You won't-"

"You know how parasitic-type of Innocence takes it's Host's life energy" I cut, more coldly. "I already lost a lot to begin with when I became an Exorcist, and with _Angel_ trying to stop the virus while it's half is literally missing, it's costing me even more. I don't exactly have much hope in all of this, to be honest. Stalker-chan is trying to hide it, but I know he came to the same results"

The teen stood up and loomed over me, fists shaking.

"You can't just give up like that!" he exclaimed. "Sooner, you said that _we_ were going back _together_ , and I ain't going to explain to the others how you died because you were to dumb to even fight back!"

"And what the hell am I supposed to do!?" I finally snapped. "You think I'm happy right now? You think I'm about to do a little dance of victory: ' _hey, I'm about to die, hip, hip, hurray!_ ' ? I can't do a damn thing, Allen! I'm fated to sit back and watch my own life deplete itself day by day until nothing's left, and that's that! So suck it up, and get back your damn Innocence so you can go help everyone and kick some Noah ass for me, got it!?"

The silence that ensued was more than heavy: it was _choking_ me. So, huffing a little, I got back on my feet with my crutches and headed for the door.

"You still have a chance, Kiddo" I added, walking out. "Don't waste it. _Idiot_ "

I made a move to grab my pendant, but then remembered I didn't have it anymore. So, letting my hand fall back on the crutch, the door closed behind me.

* * *

The night was filled with nightmares. It had been a while since it happened but, seeing how tired I was and how I didn't have Bookman sleeping pills, it was bound to happen.

God, I hate sleeping.

Now roaming through the base once more, I couldn't find the strength in myself to push away my thoughts anymore.

I was going to die.

Simple as that.

Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes harshly when I felt a prickling sensation. I wasn't about to cry now, of any time. That would be utterly stupid and humiliating.

"Dying, uh?" I muttered.

Some would say I gave up too soon. But what could I do? I didn't know what the hell was wrong with me, and I couldn't save _anyone_ to begin with, so saving myself?

What a joke.

Pain flared in my back, but I ignored it, concentrating on each step, unable to stop my train of thoughts now that I let it flow.

I couldn't save my parents.

 _Pain._

I couldn't save the Finders.

 _Pain._

I couldn't save Yeegar-sensei, or Devon.

 _Pain._

I couldn't save Daisya, even if he was only two kilometers away, maybe less.

My steps faltered when my wing felt like it was on fire. What the hell was happening _now_? Was it time? After failing everyone, was it finally my turn?

"Gah!"

My legs gave in and I collapsed on the floor, curling myself and trying to shield away from the horrible agony invading my whole body.

 _Summan… was that how you felt back there? When I failed you too? When I couldn't-_

"D-damn it…"

This time, no mistake. My feathers were falling one after the other, black and full of holes like some bad teeth. I bite back a scream, and the taste of blood tainted my mouth.

 _This agony… don't I deserve it? For the lives I failed, for those I would have failed if I stayed any longer… everyone…_

 _I'm sorry…_

"ARGH!"

"Aryane!"

For's worried eyes were the last thing I saw.

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

"Uh? What did you say?"

Tyki Mikk was a gentleman, a Noah. He was also a koi fish thief, which is why he was currently sitting at a pond eating some of the animal. However, his peace of mind was of short duration, seeing as Cell Roron informed him of a… rather annoying fact.

"Allen Walker's name isn't disappearing" wailed the little man. "I scrub and I scrub, but it won't go away!"

"No, no, no, that's not possible!" protested Tyki. "You need to scrub harder! Don't make up lies just to get out of the cage!"

He hit the little card with one of the fish, but the prisoner wasn't lying.

"He's alive" he sobbed.

"Oi, oi! A guy as cool as you shouldn't be stealing koi from a pond!"

At the voice, the Noah turned and saw two of his peers walking his way. He sighed internally.

"I heard you've got a special mission, Tyki" pursued the black-haired one.

"Yo, twins" greeted the man.

"It's Devit" corrected the first one.

"I'm Jasdero!" added the blond one.

"And together we're Jasdevi!"

"… you're looking pale as usual"

"This is makeup, you bum!"

"Sorry, but can you come back later? I'm thinking right now"

"Hey, you. I heard you were killing everyone involved with _that_ " insisted Devit. "That's why you came to Japan, right?"

"Right?" repeated Jasdero.

"Yeah" admitted Tyki. "Some guy named Cross"

But at that, the twins turned quite angry.

"The Exorcist Marshall is our prey! Lay an hand on him and we'll beat the hell out of you!" snapped Devit.

"Kill you! Kill you!" added Jasdero.

"Uh?

* * *

"So, the guy you were assigned to kill is Cross Marshall?" asked Tyki. "Well then, hurry up and kill him. How long are you planning to take?"

Devit and him were now sitting in a cart pulled by Jasdero.

"Shut up! That guy's unusually strong!" protested Devit.

"We've tried and failed to kill him three times!" confirmed his brother.

"Aren't you in the same boat? Seems like you failed to kill one of your targets too" taunted the black haired one. I heard about it! Allen something, right?"

"Shut up. Don't you have another target you failed to kill anyway?" shot back the older man.

At that, Devit's face darkened.

"It's not exactly our fault if we can't even find a trace to lead us to her" he snapped.

Tyki blinked, a little confused.

"But you've met her, right?" he ran an hand through his hair.

"If we did, do you think we'd chase around for Cross so mindlessly? We don't have a fucking clue about her, so we're stuck with the Marshall!" grunted his cadet. "We don't even know what she looks like!"

"Aryane Darkelston, right? Quite the spitfire, if you really want to know" Tyki lightened a cigarette.

"You've met her!?"

"Yes, and you did too. She seemed to remember you two" insisted Mikk. "You know, blood red hair, kind of short, very sarcastic and entertaining too…"

At that, the cart came to a brutal halt as both boys turned to him with some sort of wonder and bloodlust at the same time.

"You mean _that_ girl was the Exorcist!?"

"Well, she did have a coat" drawled Tyki.

"She told us she stole it" retorted Jasdero.

At that, the man sweatdropped.

"I get why she called you morons now" he mumbled.

"Tyki, if you killed her…"

"I didn't" he rolled his eyes. "Knowing she was _your_ target, I simply… had some fun. She won't be able to use her Innocence for quite some time, now"

But at that, the twin's anger grew even more. Tyki gulped a little, wondering how he'd get out of that one.

* * *

 **Ah ah, sorry, I couldn't help myself for that last part. Also, the next chapter will be filled with flashbacks of how she met more or less everyone, plus a little something else. Hope you liked that one, even though she didn't pass that much time awake...**

 **Question: What does For's nickname means?**

 **Reviews, pretty please with a cherry on top?**


	23. The Angel On My Shoulder

**I didn't have any review on my last chapter, but whatever, I can't hold myself from posting this one anymore. So, to make this clear: it'll be weird. Like, a lot. I'll try to make some clarifictions at the end of the chapter. Oh, and it's flashback time too.**

 **Answer: It's the name of a beautiful flower, which means strenght, power, victory in a battle/conquest.**

 **Well, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

I opened my eyes.

Wait, what?

 _"_ _Damn, finally awake? About time, too"_

"Who's there?"

I got up, and frowned a little. I couldn't… feel anything. I wasn't tired, or in pain, there was just… nothing. I gazed around, taken aback to see a whole fricking white forest.

" _Behind you, moron"_

Spinning around, I found myself facing a young man, around his twenties I'd say. Blond-brown hair that reached his shoulders with an bright, smiling, face and two beautiful wings that reminded me of my own.

Quite handsome, actually.

 _"_ _Oh? You're flattering me, really"_

"The hell? You can read my mind?" I took a step back.

Wait, he hadn't even opened his mouth. How was that possible?

 _"_ _It's because we're_ in _your mind, dummy"_ he rolled his eyes.

"That's… nice" I swallowed with difficulty. "So… who're you? If you don't mind me asking, that is"

 _"_ _You're way more polite than usual. Maybe because you think you're dying?"_ he remarked, checking his nails. _"But no worries, chill. My name's Gabriel"_

"Okay… well, I'm Aryane-"

" _I know"_ he waved his hand as if chasing a fly. _"To be honest, I know everything there is to know about you"_

"That's… kind of creepy" I sat down, crossing my legs. "Are you currently mind-raping me or…"

 _"_ _Nothing of the sort, idiot"_ he snorted. " _We've been roommates for a few years, actually. You just never knew"_

Roommates for years? That was really creepy now. But, if I took the logic path, that meant he hadn't been here when I was born, because he would have said so. That would mean he arrived after I was born, and not too long ago. However, the only thing that actually changed within me a few years ago was…

 _"_ _Ding, ding, ding! We got a winner!"_ he exclaimed with a big smile.

" _Angel_?" I choked. "You're my Innocence!?"

" _Yep_ " he popped the 'P'. _"Well, more or less"_

"How is that even _possible_?"

He bit his lower lip at that, scratching the back of his head.

" _That's… kind of complicated_ " he admitted. " _But to make things short, I'm not an usual Innocence, and you're not an usual Host either"_

"Cut the crap and get to the point, mind-rapping-guru" I grunted, crossing my arms.

He started laughing at that.

" _Mind-rapping-guru?"_ he repeated, stars in his eyes. " _That's a really good one, I gotta give you that"_

But, at my unimpressed look, he turned back to serious. Well, as serious as he seemed able to be, that is.

 _"_ _I'm not actually an Innocence, if we want the technical analogy crap"_ he precised. _"I'm Gabriel, an Angel of the Lord, Messenger of God and cetera and cetera"_

"… right. What are you doing here?"

He blinked in surprise.

" _You're taking that quite well… should have seen it coming, seeing as it's you but- Anyway. My brothers, sisters and I, one at the time, are bounded to an Host chosen by our Father. This Host becomes a guide and an helper to the Exorcists, His soldiers. Seeing as He can't intervene directly and we, His sons and daughters, can't either, we have to help through an Host. However, such power can lead to some really bad things. The last one, possessed by my brother Michael, kind of turned evil. Well, not_ your _evil, but ours. He's taking the Innocence of any Exorcist he deems 'unworthy' to gain power and, therefore, becoming strong enough to destroy the Millennium Earl himself. We haven't seen him in a while, but you might have heard of him under the name of Apocryphos_ "

I nodded slowly, taking in all the information, but the name wasn't familiar.

"So, when you say 'one at the time' it's because you don't want the Exorcists to become dependent of your strengths and rely too much on it, which would lead us to our own destruction, right?"

 _"_ _Got that right_ "

"You're also not supposed to control your Host, because you can't act directly for our cause" I pursued. "However, your brother Michael disobeyed the spiritual-treaty-thingy and took over his Host's body and mind, before rampaging through our ranks to gain more power. It's for the ultimate good of all, but not the right way to do so"

" _Exactly"_

"So, following that train of thought and logic, you were sent here and I became your Host so that I would be able to defeat Apocryphos and reinstate balance or whatever?" I concluded.

 _"_ _You're so bright, Ary-chan!"_ he cooed happily.

A vein popped on my forehead, and I felt anger rise in me.

"If that's the case, then why in the _hell_ did you _think_ it was a _fucking_ good _idea_ to go _fucking_ _berserk_ on me!?"

He gulped a little.

"I'm fucking dying right now! Actually, I could already be dead! And you, you just decided to dump me or whatever and rot on my bare back! You're an angel, for God's sake –no pun intended-, shouldn't you be able to control that!?"

But at my words, his face turned blank, which scared the crap out of me. My voice caught in my throat as he slowly made his way to me. He seemed _very_ dangerous and threatening right now.

 _"_ _If I went 'berserk' as you put, it's because of you, my stupid Host!"_ he poked my forehead with annoyance.

"M-me?" I rubbed the sore spot in annoyance.

 _"_ _I am a Messenger of God, but together, we're the Protector and the Savior_ " he pursued with some sort of anger. _"We protect civilians and Exorcists alike, because each life counts for us! However, ever since Barcelona –no, way before that-, you lost whatever little control you had over your emotions and started believing you couldn't save_ anyone _! No matter what happened, you kept on spouting stupidities about not being able to save everyone, or anyone, and you kept giving up before it even began!"_

My breath hitched slightly at that.

" _You always put other's life before your own, but you never believed in yourself and kept rejecting your true nature! We never were in synch, which is why your weren't as strong as you could have been before, but when you started this nonsense, the little sort of balance we had managed to achieve just broke down and our bond started rejecting you just as you rejected it, which resulted with the rotting of your Innocence!"_ he concluded, rather harshly.

I looked down, ashamed.

"I couldn't… I still can't… save everyone!" I tried to protest, struggling a little. "I tried to protect, but it didn't work!

 _"_ _Yes, you can!"_ he poked me again, harder this time. " _And you can't just expect to protect them, you have to expect_ saving _them too! One doesn't come without the other, so get that into your thick skull before you die from your own stupidity, and probably send your friends to their deaths!"_

"I-"

" _Think, Baka-Ary!"_ he poked for a third time. " _Think, think, think! Or have you already given up on yourself too?"_

"I didn't- I don't-"

But yes, I did.

He backed away a little.

" _Think_ " he repeated, more softly. " _About why you became an Exorcist in the first place"_

At that, everything turned to black.

* * *

 _"_ _Daddy!"_

 _I ran to my father and he caught me, laughing as I hold on him tightly._

 _"_ _Tadaima" he muttered._

 _"_ _Okaeri" I grinned._

 _"_ _I still don't understand this Japanese obsession" mumbled my mother, arriving behind me. "Welcome home, honey"_

 _"_ _Glad to be back" he smiled._

 _They kissed, and I wriggled out of my father's arms with my nose scrunched in disgust._

 _"_ _Ew! Stop kissing!" I blocked my view with my hands._

 _At that, they both chuckled._

* * *

 _I screamed, slicing through the Akuma that once was my mother. Then, I dropped to the ground, panting harshly and fighting back the tears._

 _Crying wouldn't help anything. But..._

 _I looked at my back, on which were now hanging two beautiful wings. Innocence, if I recalled my father's research correctly._

With this new power, _I thought, getting back to my feet,_ I can still... save others, before they make the same mistake as my mother. I couldn't protect my family... but I'll protect other innocents as much as I can.

 _With that, my Innocence deactivated._

"I promise"

* * *

 _I gaze at the gigantic tower in wonder. It was… well, gigantic. Slowly making my way to what seemed to be the entrance, I almost yelled in fright when a voice boomed behind me._

 _Almost. I'm cooler than that._

 ** _"_** ** _Who are you?"_**

 _I gulped a little, but reaffirmed my ground and straightened my back._

 _"_ _I… I am an Innocence Host" I announced firmly. "I wish to become an Exorcist!"_

 _There was a moment of silence._

 ** _"_** ** _Please, step forward for check up"_**

 _A little worried despite my brave façade, I obeyed the voice, which I knew was coming from the Golem to my right and, suddenly, the entrance became alive._

 _"_ _Holy shit…" I whispered._

 _"_ _Evaluation complete!" yelled the rock face. "Innocence Host confirmed! Welcome to the Headquarters!"_

 _The doors opened and, with one last look behind, I stepped inside._

* * *

 _I was greeted by a man with a scientist coat._

 _"_ _Hello there" he smiled. "I'm Reever, the Head Scientist. I'll be taking you to the Supervisor, where you'll answer his questions, alright?"_

 _"_ _Sure"_

 _After a few minutes of roaming the hallways, we entered an enormous room with the walls covered of bookshelves and the floor hidden underneath tons and tons of papers. I sweatdropped a little, but followed the man –what was his name again?- and we finally reached a desk._

 _There was another man wearing the same uniform, but he looked Asian._

 _"_ _Take a seat" he smiled gently._

 _I let myself fall on the couch._

 _"_ _So, we're going to ask some questions and…"_

 _"_ _Just shoot" I rolled my eyes._

 _"_ _Err, right… well, what's your name?"_

 _"_ _Aryane Darkelston, but just call me Ary"_

 _"_ _Age?"_

 _"_ _Eleven"_

 _"_ _You came alone, meaning someone must have told you of the emplacement of the Headquarters. Which Exorcist found you?"_

 _"_ _None" I shook my head. "My father was a Finder and I simply used his notes to come here. He told me all about Exorcists, the Black Order, Akumas and everything related, so yes, I know what I'm doing"_

 _"_ _Finders are not allowed to keep contact with the family" he frowned. "Where is he?"_

 _"_ _Dead"_

 _There was a moment of silence, and I sighed._

 _"_ _Somehow, the information leaked out and reached my mother and I, which turned her into an Akuma not even a day later. My Innocence activated when it tried to kill me, I destroyed it, and I came here knowing just what was happening to me" I resumed with a bored tone._

 _"_ _Right, right" he disposed of some papers. "Well, we're going to test your Innocence and, after that, we'll find you a room and explain more thoroughly the operation of the Order"_

 _"_ _Alright. What's your name, by the way?"_

 _"_ _I'm Komui Lee, the Head of the Department"_

 _"_ _Lead the way, then, Boss"_

* * *

 _"_ _This is Hevlaska. She's an Host too, if you want to know"_

 _I stared at the glowing-snake-dragon-lady being before me with wide eyes._

 _"..._ _Cool!"_

 _"_ _Let me see your Innocence"_

 _Weird tentacles lifted me from the ground, earning an ungodly shriek._

 _"_ _O-oi! The hell do you think you're doing!?"_

 _"_ _Don't panic" she said in a soothing voice. "I only want to see your Innocence"_

 _Calming down and ignoring the discomfort caused by her tentacles invading my body, I stared at her, trying to find where her eyes were._

 _"_ _12… 34… 47… 71… 85…"_

 _"_ _Err, Boss? What's she blabbering about?" I asked, kind of worried._

 _"_ _Innocence of a parasitic type. Level of synch: 85%."_

 _She placed me back next to Komui, and I rolled my shoulders a little to get rid of the weird and cold feeling creeping in my back._

 _"_ _That's very good!" grinned Komui. "We-"_

 _"_ _The Second Light will rise higher than the First, and accomplish the will of the Father. The Protector and Savior of the Innocence is now before us"_

 _There was a heavy silence._

 _"_ _The hell is that supposed to mean?" I scratched the back of my head._

 _"_ _Hevlaska sometimes has some sort of prophecies" Komui precised, writing on his notepad. "Don't worry yourself about it"_

 _"…_ _okay?"_

 _"_ _Thank you, Hevlaska. Ary, we'll be going now"_

 _"…_ _Right. Later, Hev!"_

 _As we walked out, I snickered a little when her confused voice echoed behind us._

 _"_ _Hev?"_

* * *

 _"_ _You know, there's another Exorcist around your age, here" said Komui. "My little sister, more precisely. One year younger, but I'm sure you two would get along"_

 _"_ _What's her name?" I asked curiously._

 _"_ _Lenalee" he cooed._

 _Instantly, I backed away from him as he gushed about her. A big bro with a sister complex? Just great._

 _"_ _Oh, and that will be your room" he announced._

 _The door looked like all the others, and I sighed a little. Knowing myself, I'd get the wrong one a few times before remembering which was mine. Entering, I found a room, not that big, but not that small either. There was a bed that seemed really comfortable, a little desk, a window, a wardrobe and a commode, and another door that led to a small bathroom with a shower._

 _"_ _It's not much, but…"_

 _"_ _It's perfect" I assured with a smile. "Am I allowed to decorate a little or…"_

 _"_ _It's your room, do whatever you want with it" he shrugged. "Any questions?"_

 _"_ _Actually, yes. Is there somewhere to eat or do I have to scrub the walls to get some grub?"_

 _He chuckled at that._

 _"_ _There's a cafeteria. I have to get back to work now, but I'll ask Reever to get you there. You can accommodate yourself while waiting"_

 _"_ _Sure. Thanks for the help, Boss"_

 _"_ _No problem. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any question"_

 _With that, he walked away and I closed the door. Then, I tossed my backpack on the bed and my suitcase in a corner, too lazy to put everything in place just yet._

 _Then, opening the window, I smiled when I realized that it was big enough for me to pass. Placing one leg after the other, I loomed over the emptiness under my feet. Then, grinning, I jumped._

 _What I didn't take into account, though, was for Reever to enter the room at the same moment. Seeing as he didn't know about my Innocence, he must have thought that I was just a suicidal teenager who decided to make the jump. Or, well, that's what his screech seemed to express._

Oops.

 _Activating my wings, I quickly flew back to the window, where the scientist seemed to have a heart attack._

 _"A_ _re you okay?" I asked, getting back inside._

 _"_ _You just jumped out of a window and you ask me if I'm- wait, how'd you come back?"_

 _For only answer, I activated my Innocence once more. He pinched the bridge of his nose, apparently annoyed and relieved at the same time._

 _"_ _Sorry" I smiled sheepishly. "Didn't think about what it would look like"_

 _"_ _Don't scare me like that again" he simply grunted. "And let's go to the cafeteria"_

 _"_ _At last!"_

 _I darted out of the room under his bewildered gaze._

 _"_ _You're hungry" he stated, lips twitching._

 _"_ _I'm starving" I corrected. "Come on, get a move, Reese!"_

 _"_ _R-Reese? My name is Reever-"_

 _"_ _Same thing. Come on!"_

* * *

 _"_ _Hello, little dear! Are you new?" greeted the chef._

 _"_ _Aryane here arrived this morning" answered Reever._

 _"_ _Well, I'm Jeryy. What can I get you? I can do anything you ask, Aryane dear!" beamed the man._

 _"_ _Just Ary will be fine" I shook my head. "And anything?"_

 _"_ _Sure!"_

 _"_ _Then I'll get the three bowls of chicken soup, a plate of onigiris, two medium-rare steak, a bunch of pork ribs with apple sauce, along with five potatoes, some carrots and four glass of orange juice"_

 _There was a moment of silence and, for a second, I feared I might have asked for too much. However, the chef started crying in what seemed joy and delight._

 _"_ _At last! Someone to appreciate my skills!"_

 _He started cooking, and Reever chuckled._

 _"_ _I forgot parasitic-types ate a lot" he simply said. "But I have to go back to work, now. Think you'll be okay?"_

 _"_ _Sure thing, Reese" I flashed him the peace sign._

 _He rolled his eyes at the nickname, then waved and walked away. At the same time, Jeryy placed all my food trays on the counter._

 _"_ _Thanks, Gusto"_

 _He seemed confused, but accepted the nickname nowadays, and I went to sit at an empty table. As I ate, a man with a blue coat came and loomed over me._

 _"_ _Now they take kids?" he sneered. "What a joke"_

 _"_ _Are you an Exorcist?" I asked, eating calmly. "'Cause I am. I'm Aryane, just Ary"_

 _I extended my hand and, after a moment, he shook it._

 _"…_ _Summan Dark"_

 _"_ _To answer your statement from sooner, they didn't 'take me' as you put it, I joined by myself because I wanted too" I assured._

 _"_ _What about your family? Didn't you want to stay with them?" he asked harshly._

 _"_ _Can't exactly live with corpses, can you?" I retorted plainly._

 _He stiffened at that, and his eyes softened a little._

 _"…_ _sorry"_

 _"_ _No worries. Say, Summan, do you have a family?"_

 _"…_ _I do"_

 _"_ _A daughter?"_

 _His eyes widened, and I smiled a little._

 _"_ _Thought so. I appreciate the very well hidden concern, but I'm not your daughter so please, refrain from acting as if it was the case"_

 _"_ _I wasn't-"_

 _"_ _Do you play chess, Old Man?" I asked, eying the game board under his arm._

 _"_ _Yes, I- Old Man?! You stupid brat…"_

 _"_ _Can you teach me?"_

 _He eyed me for a few seconds, before sighing heavily._

 _"_ _Come on"_

 _"_ _Sweet!"_

* * *

 _"_ _Oh, you must be Aryane, the new Exorcist!" greeted yet another scientist._

 _"_ _She wanted to learn how to play" said Summan, installing the game. "Mind teaching her the basics?"_

 _"_ _No problem! I'm Johnny, by the way"_

 _"_ _Ary, nice to meet you"_

 _We passed the next hour and a half in the room, Johnny explaining me his moves while Summan tried to corner him, quite pathetically, if I can say so. In the end, the scientist won –no real surprise, though-._

 _"_ _Ah, Old Man just got his ass kicked" I snickered._

 _"_ _Shut up, brat!"_

 _"_ _Ah! Checkmate, save me!"_

 _I hide behind Johnny, who blinked behind his big glasses._

 _"_ _Checkmate?"_

 _"_ _That's your new name. Now let me use you as a human shield before the Old Man snaps-"_

 _"_ _COME HERE YOU DWARF!"_

 _"_ _I AIN'T SHORT YOU GRANDPA!"_

* * *

 _As I walked back to my room, a weird noise came form another door. Curious, I slowly opened it, and realized it was a training room. Inside was a girl around my age, who I easily recognized as Lenalee Lee._

 _"_ _Hello!" I greeted, entering._

 _Surprised by my sudden appearance, she hit a pillar while jumping. Wincing a little, I quickly went to her and helped her up._

 _"_ _Sorry, I should have knock" I grinned sheepishly. "I'm Aryane, your new friend! You must be Lenalee, right?"_

 _She seemed a little overwhelmed by my attitude, but nodded nowadays with a slight smile._

 _"_ _It-It's nice to meet you" she stuttered out._

 _"_ _Aw, you're so cute!" I cooed, hugging her tightly. "Ne, ne, was that your Innocence sooner?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, it's called_ Dark Boots _" she nodded shyly. "What's yours? I-if you don't mind me asking!"_

 _I grinned, and my wings appeared in my back, earning a sharp gasp from the girl._

 _"_ _You have wings!" she said, stars in her eyes. "Can I touch them?"_

 _"_ _Sure"_

 _As she petted the feathers, I thought for a moment, before smiling._

 _"_ _Ne, Lenalee!"_

 _"_ _What it is, Aryane?"_

 _"_ _Just Ary" I corrected. "And from now on, you're Jumper. Don't go bumping into other pillars, though. Don't want to have to explain to your sister-complexed-older-brother how you ended as a corpse"_

 _She giggled a little at that._

* * *

 _I had taken a few missions with other Finders and Lenalee, learning to use my Innocence on the battlefield. I had seen my share of deaths by now, but I didn't cry once. I had promised myself I wouldn't, no matter what happened, and that was not a promise I was ready to break so easily._

 _"_ _Ary! Ary!"_

 _"_ _Hey, Jumper!" I grinned, greeting her with a hug. "How's life going?"_

 _"_ _Tiedoll Marshall is here with his students! Come on, I want you to meet everyone!"_

 _Pulling me behind her, she lead us to Komui's office, before entering._

 _"_ _Nii-san!" she called. "I brought Ary!"_

 _"_ _Good, good! Come here!"_

 _Making our way through the tons of papers and books, barely avoiding one of the towers falling on us, we finally arrived to her brother's desk. On the couch were sitting two boys around our age and a man with headphones, while another with loads of hair sat directly next of the Boss._

 _"_ _Right, boys" Komui adjusted his glasses. "This is Aryane, our newest Exorcists. Ary, these are Daisya Barry, Noise Marie and Kanda Yuu. Their Master here is Froi Tiedoll"_

 _"_ _Yo" I waved a little._

 _"_ _Aw, she's so cute!"_

 _I suddenly found myself suffocating in the older man's embrace._

 _"_ _Gah! U-unhand me! Stranger danger! Stranger danger!" I struggled against the hold._

 _The one named Daisya snickered while Marie smiled and the Kanda dude scoffed. Instantly, I narrowed my eyes at him._

 _Something told me we wouldn't get along too well._

 _"_ _How about you all go get something to eat while Tiedoll Marshall and I talk some more?" proposed Komui._

 _"_ _Otherwise said: get lost" I coughed a little when Tiedoll finally let me go. "Come on, Jumper, I'm starving. Guess you guys can come too"_

 _As we walked out, I noticed how the tight-ass from sooner seemed to stay away from everyone._

 _"_ _Hey, Yuu!" I called._

 _"_ _Don't call me that" he snapped._

 _"_ _He prefers Kanda" supplied Lenalee, apparently frightened._

 _"_ _Right" I nodded, before turning to the boy once more. "Hey, Jerkface!"_

 _Everyone froze in spot as he slowly turned to me with a murderous aura surrounding him. Ignoring his bloodlust, I kept on walking._

 _"_ _Yep, definitely works for you" I nodded. "Jerkface it is. Ne, ne, Jerkface! How did you get that stick so far up your ass?"_

 _Daisya choked, Marie hide a smile, Lenalee paled so much I was afraid she might faint, and a vein was bulging on Kanda's forehead._

 _"_ _You want to die, brat?" he spat, his hand clenching around the hilt of his katana._

 _"_ _What, you don't know? That's crazy, because you should have felt it coming in" I smirked, clearly taunting him._

 _"_ _Kanda, wait!"_

"Mugen!"

 _He came at me and, my instincts kicking in, I activated my own Innocence –we called it_ Angel _-, escaping his attack with ease._

 _"_ _Aw, Jerkface, I thought we were becoming friends" I sighed dramatically from my spot in the air._

 _"_ _I'm going to kill you!"_

 _I avoided his slices once more, and I grinned._

 _"_ _Gotta catch me first, Ba-Kanda!" I made the 'L' for looser on my forehead._

 _He snarled, and nearly chopped my arm off. Cackling madly, I flew away._

* * *

 _"_ _Good hiding spot" smirked Daisya._

 _I smirked, hidden behind a pillar._

 _"_ _Bet he won't find me in the next minute" I smirked back._

 _"_ _If he do, you have to be my slave for a day" he replied._

 _"_ _If he don't, you have to declare your ultimate love for him" I retorted._

 _"_ _Deal"_

 _We shook hands, grinning madly, and he pulled away, sighing heavily._

 _"_ _In a way, I guess I don't really stand much of a chance, seeing as you're short enough to not be seen-"_

 _"_ _TAKE THAT BACK!"_

 _"_ _BRAT!" screeched Kanda, somewhere farther._

 _"_ _Shit! I hate you, Daisy-chan"_

 _"_ _D-Daisy-chan!?"_

"MUGEN!"

 _"_ _DON'T KILL ME!"_

* * *

 _"_ _Hey, Marie" I greeted, sitting in front of the man._

 _"_ _Hello, Aryane"_

 _"_ _Just Ary" I rolled my eyes. "Say, why do you always have your eyes closed?"_

 _"_ _Because I can't see with them" he smiled a little. "I'm blind"_

 _"_ _Really?" I frowned at that. "And you can still be an Exorcist?"_

 _"_ _I learned how to fight with my other senses" he nodded._

 _"_ _Oh, that's why you're wearing headphones" I blinked in understanding._

 _"_ _Exactly"_

 _We stayed silent for a moment._

 _"_ _Do you mind showing me your Innocence?"_

 _"_ _I don't mind" he smiled once again._

 _He got up, and extended his hands. Wires shot from rings on his fingers, and grabbed the training dummy not too far. Then, a strange melody echoed in the whole room._

 _"_ _The sound waves can destroy the Akumas" simply said Mari, retreating his wires._

 _"_ _That's so cool! It sounded like some sort of organ or something… reminded me of some Cherubs" I grinned._

 _"_ _Really?"_

 _"_ _Yep! So, from now on, you'll be Cherub!"_

 _He chuckled a little and ruffled my hair._

 _"_ _Alright, Ary"_

 _"_ _WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, BRAT!?"_

 _"_ _Oops, gotta go" I laughed nervously. "Jerkface is still trying to kill me"_

 _"_ _Then get going" he smiled for the third time._

 _"_ _SHOW YOURSELF, AKAHATO!"_

 _I stiffened a little, more surprised then angry._

 _"_ _Did he just called me 'Akahato'?" I repeated._

 _"_ _I think he did"_

 _"_ _YOU DWARFED PIGEON, COME DIE LIKE A MAN!"_

 _"_ _TAKE THAT BACK! AND I'M A FUCKING GIRL, YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATIC HE-SHE SAMOURAI!"_

* * *

 _"_ _Hello" smiled kindly the man before me._

 _"_ _This is Yeegar Marshall" presented Reever. "He came here to… well, to make you a proposition"_

 _"_ _Shoot" I nodded, sitting more comfortably._

 _"_ _You are still new into the Exorcist life, and I proposed myself to become your mentor" announced Yeegar._

 _I tilted my head._

 _"_ _Mentor? Like Tiedoll-sensei is Cherub, Daisy-chan and Jerkface's Master?"_

 _He seemed surprised at the nicknames, but kept his gentle attitude._

 _"_ _Exactly, young lady"_

 _I snorted._

 _"_ _Sir, I ain't a lady" I shook my head. "And I'm honored by your proposition -I really am!- but I can't accept. My place is here, at the Headquarters, with everyone"_

 _He nodded in understanding, and placed a gentle hand on my head._

 _"_ _I understand. However, if you ever want to, my offer still stands"_

 _"_ _Thank you, Yeegar-sensei"_

* * *

 _As I walked down the shore, my eyes locked with explosions farther away. Making my way through the screaming crowd, I soon found a boy with white hair fighting off some Akumas. Another man, that I easily recognized as Cross Marshall, was sitting at a bar and completely ignoring him. Seeing red, I destroyed the three remaining Akumas, saving the boy in the process, before landing next to him._

 _His eyes widened in wonder._

 _"_ _Are you an Exorcist too, miss?" he asked._

 _"_ _Yeah" I nodded. "Are you okay? This damn Marshall, not even lifting a finger…_ hey, espèce de triple idiot coureur de jupons! Ça va pas, la tête? Laissez un gamin faire ton travail, espèce de lâche saoul!"

 _"_ _N-no! It's okay!" the boy intervened, apparently frightened. "He's just-"_

 _"_ _Sitting by and watching you do_ his _job" I completed angrily. "What's your name, Kiddo?"_

 _"_ _A-Allen Walker, miss!"_

 _"_ _First of all, don't call me that" I shook my head. "I'm what, two years older than you? And second of all, I'm Aryane, but just call me Ary"_

 _"_ _A-Alright, m- Ary" he nodded, seeming in some sort of daze._

 _"_ _Now come on, we've got to beat some sense into this stupid womanizer"_

 _"_ _W-wait!"_

* * *

 _"_ _This is my grandfather" presented Lavi the morning after we met. "Ji-ji, this is Aryane, the-"_

 _"_ _Protector and Savior of the Innocence, right?" cut the old man before me._

 _"_ _Right, that was Hev's prophecy" I remembered faintly. "No idea what's that supposed to mean, though. Nice to meet you, err…"_

 _"_ _Call me Bookman" he supplied, shaking my hand._

 _"_ _No name?" I asked, surprised. "Okay, sure. Is Lavi a Bookman too?"_

 _"_ _In training, yes" he nodded._

 _"_ _I'm already awesome, though" grinned the redhead._

 _"_ _Sure you are" I drawled. "But I'm relieved"_

 _"_ _Why?" asked the boy, confused._

 _"_ _Because to be a Bookman, you have to be a man first, Book_ boy _" I smirked._

 _"_ _Hey!"_

 _His grandfather smirked evilly at that._

 _"_ _He still has a pirate costume in his backpack" he supplied, matter-of-factly._

 _"_ _Ji-ji!"_

 _I snickered at that and the grandfather simply shrugged._

 _"_ _I_ am _a man" he pumped his chest, his pride taking the blow rather harshly._

 _"_ _Oh yeah?"_

 _"_ _Y-yeah! And I'm older than you!" he replied, as if that solved anything._

 _"_ _Doesn't seem like it with replies like these" I taunted. "You're supposed to be what, sixteen? Yet you still act and talk like a fricking five years old"_

 _"_ _Yeah? Well… I'm taller!"_

 _"_ _TAKE THAT BACK!"_

 _"_ _HOLY CRAP!"_

 _"_ _COME BACK HERE, BOOKBOY! I'M GOING TO SKIN YOU!"_

 _"_ _NO WAY, YOU WON'T EVEN REACH MY ELBOWS!"_

 _"_ _THEN WHY ARE YOU RUNNING!? COME BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR BEATING LIKE A MAN!"_

* * *

 _"_ _Tiedoll-sensei? Have you come to take Jerkface, Cherub and Daisy-chan for a mission?" I asked curiously._

 _"_ _I did" he nodded, patting my head with a smile. "I had been wondering, Ary…"_

 _"_ _What is it?"_

 _"_ _Why do you have nicknames for everyone? I'm very curious" he grinned._

 _At that, I rubbed the back of my head, somewhat sheepish._

 _"_ _I'm not really good with names" I grinned back. "Never get these right. So, instead of struggling to remember, I just rename them. Way easier"_

 _He simply chuckled at that._

* * *

 _"_ _Who are you?"_

 _The man yelped in fright at my sudden appearance, letting a binder full of pictures fall on the ground. I eyed said pictures with some sort of surprise, amusement and disgust at the same time._

 _"_ _You're stalking a girl way too young for you" I remarked._

 _"_ _I'm- I'm not stalking her!"_

 _"_ _Sure you don't" I drawled, not exactly convinced. "Does Komui knows? No, of course not, or he'd skin you alive… What's your name, Stalker-chan?"_

 _"_ _Don't call me that! And if you really want to know, I am Bak Chang, the Head of the Asian Branch, and I-"_

 _"_ _See you later, Stalker-chan" I walked away, no more paying attention to him._

* * *

 _"_ _Hello there! Can I help you with something?" kindly asked the man._

 _I stared at him blankly, before eying the piece of paper in my hands._

 _"_ _Is this where a certain 'Mother' lives?" I asked, my voice hoarse. "I was sent here by Allen Walker, and-"_

 _"_ _You're a friend of Allen!" he cheered, taking me into a tight hug. "Come inside, come in! Mother! Friend of Allen!"_

* * *

 _She came, apparently unsure about what to do, and sat in front of me. She wasn't exactly beautiful, but she wasn't ugly either. It looked more like she was tired than anything else._

 _"_ _I'm Lenalee Lee. That's Allen Walker, and that's Aryane Darkelston" presented the girl. "What's your name?"_

 _"_ _M-M-Miranda L-Lotto" mumbled the woman._

 _Well._

 _That was going to be a looong talk._

* * *

 _Krory stayed silent for a moment, and I let him organize his thoughts._

 _"_ _You are quite wise, for your age" he finally remarked, in slight awe._

 _I snorted in a very unladylike manner._

 _"_ _I'm not, I just had a lot of experience and time to think about it. Seriously, everyone will probably tell you I'm the most reckless Exorcist they ever had" I assured._

 _"_ _Thank you" he offered me a little smile._

 _"_ _No problem, Buffy" I patted his shoulder and got up._

 _He lifted an eyebrow, a little confused._

 _"_ _Buffy?"_

 _"_ _I like to give my friends nicknames" I shrugged. "You'll figure it out sooner or later. I'll head for the restaurant, now. You can explore a little, we have a few hours before reaching our stop. Oh, and call me Ary" I winked, than walked inside._

* * *

 _Again, my feathers turned to blades and I threw them at three other Akumas, who exploded too. Allen and Lenalee finished off the rest and I posed before the Finder who was protecting a crying kid._

 _I gently patted his head, and he looked up at me, wide eyed._

 _"_ _Jan, right? Your father is one of the scientists of the Order, if I remember correctly" I remarked, recognizing the kid from a picture on one of the desks._

 _"_ _Y-yeah" he nodded, looking in awe at my wings. "Are they real?"_

 _"_ _Of course" I chuckled. "It's my Innocence. Are the both of you alright?"_

 _"_ _We are fine, thanks to you and your friends, Lady Exorcist" nodded the Finder._

* * *

 _Allen, to occupied by his push-ups, didn't noticed before it was too late. The boy came back to us with the Golem, and I snickered a little when the white haired teen got up, confused._

 _"_ _Tim?" he called. "Ary?"_

 _"_ _Over here!" called the little Leader._

 _He then showed a tied up Timcanpy, and I tried to wave despite being tied up too._

 _"_ _Eh? What are you up too?" asked Allen._

 _"_ _Archie the Whirlpool!" presented suddenly little Leader._

 _"_ _Bob the Hurricane!" pursued Fringe-Boy._

 _"_ _Cheetah the Stomach!" continued Big-Boy._

 _"_ _Dan the calculator!" added Glasses-Boy._

 _"_ _And Eagle-eyes Eric!" concluded proudly Hat-Boy._

 _"_ _Together, we're the Abochidae Pirate Corps!" the yelled in unison._

 _I snorted at the ridiculous name, but said nothing._

* * *

 _We were now sitting with fuming bowls at the Finder's table._

 _"_ _Itadakimasu!" I exclaimed, before digging in._

 _"_ _I'm Devon, the Leader of this troupe" he presented himself as we ate._

 _He then smiled._

 _"_ _You two must be the Exorcists with the appetite Jeryy was talking about" he said. "Such voracity recall me of my younger days. Eat more!"_

 _"_ _Thank you!"_

* * *

 _"_ _You should have told us" scolded Lavi._

 _"_ _I thought…"_

 _"_ _You always think you'll be fine, Ary, and that's the problem!" he exclaimed, waving his hands in the air. "You can't always be fine! Your body and your Innocence got limits too and if you keep pushing them, you might very well die in the upcoming battles! It's not a joking matter!"_

 _"_ _I know that!" I exclaimed, annoyed. "And I know my limits just fine! There was just more poison than I thought, no big deal!"_

 _"_ _It's never a big deal with you!" he yelled back. "But get that into your thick skull once and for all: you're not alone! We're your friends and we're fighting with you and sometimes, you can't do everything by yourself so take your fucking advice, you god damn hypocrite, and learn to relies on us too!"_

 _Heavy silence ensued as we held angrily each other's gaze, none of us backing down._

 _Then, I sighed again._

 _"_ _Okay, okay, I get it" I grunted._

* * *

 _"_ _Hey, Zoltar" I called. "You hanging in there? How are you feeling?"_

 _"_ _I… I wanted to fight with you…" she fought back the tears that threatened to fall again. "I wanted to become an Exorcist… and stay by your side…"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry" I looked down. "I was too late. If I had been more careful…"_

 _"_ _No" she shook her head, fists tightening. "You tried! It's not your fault!"_

 _That made me chuckle a little, and I ruffled her hair._

 _"_ _I know" I sighed. "To be honest… I'm kind of glad. The life of an Exorcist… I don't want this war to taint you anymore than it already did. You deserve a brighter life than one of an Host. I was glad to fight by your side for the time it lasted, though"_

 _Without a warning, she latched onto me. At first surprised, I then hugged back._

 _"_ _Don't die" she whispered, shaking. "Promise me you won't die"_

 _I opened my mouth to answer the usual, like how I didn't lie and that dying was more than very probable but, seeing her so frail, so hopeful, I found myself believing my very first lie._

 _"_ _I won't. I promise"_

* * *

"Shit!"

I sat up in a sudden movement, breathing as if it was the first time. There was a frightened squeak to my right, and I realized it was Rohfa.

"R-Rohfa?" I blinked. "What- hey, what's going on?"

Rikei, Shifu and Won turned at my voice, wide eyed.

"Ary! How are you feeling?"

"No time! What's going on?"

I eyed the room in ruins with worry. There were explosions and screams on the other side of the wall.

"The Headquarters are under attack" finally said Shifu. "A Level Three. He came to get Allen and you. For and Allen are down, Head Bak is out there but…"

Clenching my fists, I slowly got up despite their protests. Making my way rather painfully to the balcony, I saw Bak hugging For's body against his as the most horrible Akuma I had ever seen stood before them. Allen was nowhere to be seen.

I gritted my teeth and anger spike inside of me. I had to protect them.

No.

I had to _save_ them.

Ever since I joined the Black Order, it hadn't been about getting revenge for my family, or destroying Akumas because I could. It was about protecting those still alive, protecting the memories of my loved ones but also all my friends.

That's why I became an Exorcist.

And that's why I won't give up _ever_ again.

Something warmed in my heart as my body suddenly felt numb.

 _That's right, Ary. Now you get it_

"Gabriel?" I whispered.

"Ary, you have to go back inside-" tried Won.

"I am an Exorcist" I cut, turning to face them. "I am the Protector and Savior. I will not hide anymore behind stupid excuses, and I _will_ protect our friends. I _will_ save them"

After that, I smiled brightly at them.

"I promise"

There was a sudden flash of light that blinded me as something exploded in my chest.

* * *

 **So... yeah. So, to make things clear:**

 **\- Aryane's Innocence is _Angel_. However, when she activated it for the first time, she also became the Host of the Angel Gabriel. Gabriel and _Angel_ are two way different entities, but their powers complies each other.**

 **\- Gabriel and all other Angels aren't allowed to intervene directly in the Millennium War. However, Michael -or Apocryphos, thos up to date with the serie/manga should know of him- has broken the rule for whatever reason and took control of his Host, breaking the balance. So, while there's usually only one Angel on the mortal place to help out the Exorcists, the higher-ups decided to send Gabriel with the prime mission of stopping Michael.**

 **\- Aryane became Gabriel's Host because they had, at first, the same goals: protecting and saving any and all they could. However, the attack on Barcelona was when Ary somewhat lost sight of that goal, if not a little before that, and therefore, Gabriel and her weren't in synch anymore. That's why her Innocence was rotting like that, therefore killing her.**

 **But! Because of Gabriel's intervention, Aryane recalled why she became an Exorcist in the first place, remembered her true goal, and came back in synch with the Angel.**

 **Yes, I am going somewhere with this. Gabriel is going to be a major part of this story, even more so that I'll go off canon after Hollow, and his presence is extremely thought about. All answers won't come right away, of course. There will be some more explanations later on. If you have any questions as of now, or don't understand something, just ask and I'll explain as much as I can.**

 **Otherwise said, don't worry! It all makes sense, I promise!**

 **Question: What was your favorite memory of Aryane's?**

 **Can I have some reviews _now_? Please?**


	24. Crown Clown And Archangel

**Well, I think I don't really need to say it but I'll say it anyway: I'm** **disapointed. Like, a lot. I was hoping at least ONE review for the last chapter, a lot came out after all.**

 **But whatever. Guess I'll just roll with it.**

 **Answer: Well, guess it depends on anyone who read it. If anyone read it, that is.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

There was a flash of light that engulfed the young girl, startling the other scientists and gaining the attention of the Level Three, Bak and For down there.

"What-"

The light died down, revealing Aryane. However, she was different.

Both of her wings were back, glowing softly, and a radiant halo was floating just above her red fiery hair. She seemed in much better shape than she ever had been, smiling brightly as she regained her life force before their eyes.

"Is that… Ary?" asked For with some difficulty.

"I… don't know" Bak admitted quietly.

"Hey, Asstard! How about you take on someone of your caliber?" she called, cracking her knuckles.

"Yep, that's her" sweatdropped Bak.

"And who might you be?" grinned wickedly the Akuma.

"The one you're looking for, apparently" she huffed. "What do you want with me?"

"Hmm… she fits the description" It nodded slightly, talking to itself. " _He_ has some business with her, and was very specific about not killing her and the other one… not bringing the two would seem suspicious, so I might as well take her back alive, seeing as I already killed the boy…"

* * *

At that, my eyes narrowed.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah" it cackled. "Not much of a challenge, though!"

"Then how about this?" I smiled sweetly. "Feathered Blades!"

There was an enormous explosion as my blades collided with it. A part of the wall behind crumbled, but I realized he had avoided the attack, even if he had been shot at some places.

"Holy shit" I whispered. "Hey, Gab, is it supposed to be that strong or…"

 _Don't worry, Ary-chan! Now that we fully merged, you can use your full strength, and it'll only grow as our bond deepen! Sweet, isn't it?_

"That it is" I grinned. "Little help for the control? Don't want to take the whole place down"

 _Sure._

The Akuma got back on its feet with a snarl.

"How dare you?" it spat. "I'll beat some sense into you before bringing you back!"

 _Try again, Ary-chan!_

"Feathered Blades!"

Another round was shot at it. There seemed faster, but merely embedded themselves into the wall instead of breaking it down this time. I managed to rip one of the arms off.

Well, half of it.

Lost in it's anger, it shot weird looking strands of purple light my way. I easily deflected them with two of my blades, but one caught my arm. I cringed at the slight stung, and cut it nice and clean. Looking down at my arm, I frowned. It seemed way too pale to be normal, like, ghostly-pale.

 _Molecular level damage. What a pain._

"Can you heal it?"

 _Of course I can, who do you think I am? It's just annoying to deal with. Don't use that arm before I give the go._

"Okay"

I escaped another onslaught of attacks, the claws of the Akuma passing sometimes way too close for my liking, but I was careful to avoid its purple strands now.

 _All done!_

"Any other super-secret attack?" I asked, barely avoiding it's grip. "God, I really hate Level Three. Where the hell does that come from anyway?"

Suddenly, its hand managed to grab one of my wings. I sliced some of the fingers, but its other hand caught my throat in a tight grip.

 _Stop whining, Ary-chan, and no, it's not exactly the place to test your new abilities. We'll talk about these later. You know, when you don't have a Level Three Akuma out to kidnap you and kill everyone?_

"Your sense of humor is killing me" I choked, struggling to set myself free.

 _No, the Akuma is._

"You're talking to yourself now?" taunted said Akuma.

"Ary!" exclaimed Bak, farther away.

Gritting my teeth, I managed to slice the wrist. The evil weapon backed away with a hiss. Then, before I could do anything, it shot its purple-rays-of-doom at the Head and For.

At the same time, though, there was another flash of light from under the water, before Allen's arm shot out, glowing brightly, and stopping the deadly rays. For a moment, I wondered if that was how I made my entrance, but then focused on what was happening.

"What the hell is happening!?" yelled the Akuma.

Exactly.

Suddenly, some sort of mask and a cloak appeared above the water. The Akuma shot light beams at it once again, but I deviate them with two blades. Another one passed my guard, but the cloak-thingy stopped it before it could hit Bak and For.

"Just another weird thing coming out" grunted the Level Three.

"Dude, have you seen yourself in a mirror recently?" I snapped his way.

I wasn't worried by the apparition, though. It just felt… right.

"Innocence" I realized curiously.

The others stiffened as the mask turned to me, before offering a little bow.

"You're in the way!" yelled the Akuma, running at them. "I'll make all of you disappear!"

 _Shield!_

Not exactly thinking about it, I darted between Bak, For, the Innocence and the Akuma, spreading my wings around them. I cringed, waiting for the usual pain, but there was only slight push. Surprised, I looked back, and realized that the Akuma had just bounced on them and crashed into a pillar nearby.

 _Now, you can fully use Shield, which will protect from any sort of attack._

"I love you more and more, Gab" I grinned.

"Ary, who the hell are you talking too?" asked Bak, just behind me.

"Not the time, Stalker-chan" I shook my head.

"I'll beat you to a pulp" growled the Akuma, coming back.

"Think you can handle it for now? I have to put them to safety" I asked the mask.

The Innocence nodded, and I took For in my arms. Ignoring the beams of light behind me, I tightened my lips and flew at the balcony, ready to catch my fall if needed.

 _Your wings are bigger and stronger. You can fly with someone now, but don't push your luck. We're not fucking airplanes either._

"Understood" I nodded.

Landing next to everyone, I handed For to Won, who instantly went to the side to examine her. Ready to go back for Bak, I froze at the new sight.

Allen was up and about, now wearing the cloak and the mask.

"Mr.… Walker…" muttered Rohfa.

"He did it" whispered For with a smile.

"And what am I, the next door neighbor?" I grunted, going to get Bak.

However, the Akuma seemed to know what I was doing, for it ran at me despite the lack of arms.

"Ary!" exclaimed Allen.

"Feathered Blades!"

I managed to pin it to a wall, before landing next to Bak.

"Take care of the rest, Kiddo" I ordered. "I still can't control myself very well"

"Got it" he nodded, before turning to the Akuma.

Sighing a little, I crouched next to the Head.

"Come on, we're going back up there" I said, placing his arm around my neck to support him up. "I don't mind the VIP lodge, really, but it's kind of dangerous"

"It's… It's really you" he sighed heavily.

"Aw, you don't sound too happy, Stalker-chan" I grinned.

Flying us back to the rest of the scientists, I gently laid him down next to For.

"I want explanations" he warned, coughing a little.

"Don't we all" I rolled my eyes.

Turning back to see how the fight was going, I realized that Allen finally managed to trap it. I quickly flew to his side, and place an hand on his shoulder. He smiled a little at me, before turning back his attention on the Level Three.

"Tell me, Akuma" he ordered. "What is the name and location of the one who sent you after us?"

"Name?" It repeated. "Location?"

The Level Three started cackling, and I frowned a little.

"If you let me live, I'll tell you!"

"You-"

"All right" Allen cut me. "Tell me"

Understanding what he was doing, I kept my mouth shut.

"That won't happen!" laughed the Akuma. "There's no way, you little clown!"

"Do you want me to save you?" asked the white haired boy. "Release you? Your soul, that is"

"You're on the humans side, aren't you?" retorted the weapon, now angry.

"That's right. Half of me, at least. But the other half exists for your sake" he assured. "I will save your pitiful soul, demon"

With that, he placed a finger on the forehead, and a little light appeared. I felt warmth spread in my chest at the sight of the pure Innocence, and smiled.

"What is… this feeling?" asked the Akuma, more quietly.

"Peace" I answered with a small smile. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah… yeah, it does… all right, I'll tell you" It grunted. "The one who sent me was Master Noah, Brother Tyki Mikk. He's in Edo right now. Not only him, but four other Noahs and Master Earl too! Eh, eh, isn't that a bad thing for you Exorcists?"

My fist clenched at the name, but I shook my head.

"Thank you"

With that, Allen sliced through it, but the weapon didn't explode right away.

"Take… Noah's Ark with you…" It muttered. "It can travel… through space and… take you to Edo"

"Why?" I asked curiously. "Why would you tell us?"

"It's an order… from Master Noah…"

I stiffened, but then relaxed.

"Or… maybe not… For some reason… I'm feeling really good… right now… with this… I've truly been saved… thank you…"

There was yet another flash of light –seems like we get a lot of those- and it was gone.

"Good night" whispered Allen.

"And thank _you_ " I added, smiling softly.

There was a moment of silence, before I turned to Allen and roughly whacked the back of his head.

"A-Ary! What was that for?" he protested.

"You stole my spotlight" I stomped my foot angrily. "I made my big entrance and then _you_ come and play the dramatic hero! Not fair, I say!"

He rolled his eyes, before hitting my head too.

"Hey! What the hell w-"

My voice died down when I suddenly found myself in his embrace. He tightened his arms around me, as if scared I'd disappear.

"Don't do this again" he muttered. "We thought… we thought you were going to die… your wing was falling to pieces, and you kept screaming and tossing around… and then you just… stopped! Not a noise, not a move… we truly thought we lost you…"

"I'm okay, Kiddo" I hugged back. "I'm fine now, and I'm not going to die anytime soon"

He seemed surprised at my words, because he pulled away and eyed me with what looked like astonishment, which only made my grin widen.

"I promise"

* * *

"Walker, can you move your left arm?" asked Shifu.

"Hai"

I watched as the tests unfold. After a good night of rest, Bak was back in shape and had hunted us down to run some tests on our Innocence. Allen was the first but knowing I'd run away the first chance I get, I was forced to stay and wait for my turn.

"Okay, there doesn't seem to be any issues" nodded Shifu, checking the parameters.

"Thank goodness!" sighed happily Rohfa.

"In fact, not only are there no problems with his condition…"

"What do you mean?" asked curiously Rikei.

Curious too, I loomed over Shifu's shoulder to see the datas and drawings.

"I received the data of Walker's old physical condition from Headquarters. Compared to before, he and his Innocence are much more synchronized" explained the Asiatic.

"Amazing!"

"The director said it before, right? The Innocence's will is influenced by Mr. Walker's. Perhaps Mr. Walker really is loved by God"

There was a snort from Gabriel.

"What is it?" I asked quietly enough not to be heard by the others.

 _Love is an understatement! Father admires the boy's will and values. He's like one of the few humans who actually has a chance of becoming one of us after his death!_

"An Angel? You mean that _you_ were an Exorcist before?" I asked, surprised.

 _That I was, and one of the strongest too! You should be honored to be my Host, really._

"Your modesty never ceases to amaze me" I mumbled.

"Ary? You're up!"

I froze a little as the four scientists turned to me.

"Err… you know what? I'm _really_ busy right now" I laughed nervously, slowly making my way to the door. "Places to be, people to see, you know, that kind of stuff…"

But Shifu and Rikei stopped my tentative of flight by grabbing one shoulder each and pushed me towards the test room with Won as Allen walked out.

"Mr. Walker" greeted Won with a tray in his hands. "Thank you for all your hard work"

He handed him a cup of tea, and I scrunched my nose at the horrible smell.

"Damn, do I need some hot chocolate now" I grumbled. "Hey, Kiddo!"

"What is it, Ary?"

Wait, was he amused by my situation?

 _I know I am._

Bastards, the both of them.

"Save me?" I pleaded with my puppy eyes.

He rolled his eyes at my antics.

"It seems like there's nothing wrong with you" then announced Won to the boy.

"Yeah, except his sense of friendship" I grunted. "Where have the true friends gone, do I ask?"

 _Far, far away. But don't worry, I'll be there when you want me the less!_

I snorted at that.

"Ary, your crazy is showing" sighed Allen, shaking his head.

"You're the crazy one, drinking this crap" I retorted, eying his cup with the evil eye.

"Come on, we have to finish your tests" intervened Shifu, pushing me forward.

I struggled a little as the door closed behind.

"Nooooo!"

* * *

"I'm… dying…" I cried dramatically. "How evil of you!"

Rohfa giggled a little at my antics.

"At least we didn't try the needles" she pointed out. "I warned the guys not too. Heard from Director Bak that you didn't really like them"

I gulped a little at that, then hugged her with a smile

"You utterly, adorable, bespectacled, savior from heaven!" I sighed.

She blushed like a tomato, which made me snicker. Then, the door opened, and the three scientists, accompanied by Allen, entered.

"You're all set too, Ary" nodded Rikei. "Your synch rate with your Innocence is way stronger now, though. You should check it out once you're back to Headquarters"

"Will do" I nodded, getting up. "Can I go eat, now? I'm starving!"

"Same" groaned Allen, rubbing his stomach. "Oh, got you something, by the way"

He handed me a fuming cup, and my eyes widened as the scent of the delicious beverage made my mouth water.

"I knew there was a reason that you were my favorite, Kiddo!" I hugged him tightly.

Then, happily sipping on the godly drink, I made my way to the cafeteria with every intent of eating my fill, while the scientists just laughed behind me and Allen followed closely behind.

* * *

As we ate, Won stared at us in wonder.

"Sorry, it seems that even with this new form, we've got the same appetite" I grinned sheepishly.

"Please, eat as much as you like" he sweatdropped.

Two new presences appeared behind me, and I turned my head to two scientists that I easily recognized as those who talked trash in our back not even two days ago.

"Here, take it" the first one said, handing me a bowl of stew.

"Help yourself" added the second one, this time to Allen.

"Uh?"

"We.. we saw it" said the one with the glasses. "Your fight, that is"

"That was the first time we got to see an Exorcist actually fight" added the bearded one.

"We never realized that fighting Akumas was such a difficult task. Compared to your battles, our lives are much easier. To think that we asked Director Bak to transfer you back to Headquarters…"

"Please, forgive us!"

They bowed, and I shook my head quickly.

"It's fine, it's fine!" I assured.

"We can understand" nodded Allen.

"Your Innocence was amazing, though" assured the bespectacled one.

"And your wings were beautiful!" added the second.

"Thanks!" I beamed his way.

 _Of course they were_.

"Shut up" I muttered under my breath.

"Uh? Did you say something, Ary?" asked Allen.

"What? Nope, just talking to myself like any sane person does, why?" I smiled.

"… right"

Gabriel started laughing at the boy's tone, and it took all my willpower not to go back in there and hit him. Seeing as that would make me black out temporarily, I didn't want to answer unwanted questions, even more so that I had my own that were still without answers.

 _I'll tell you everything later, Ary-chan, I promise._

I nodded stiffly for only answer, and kept on eating.

* * *

"I've brought Mr. Walker and Ary" announced Won.

"Hey, Stalker-chan!" I greeted, making my way inside the room. "Feeling better?"

"Hello, Ary" he sighed.

He seemed to do that a lot with me around.

I lifted my eyes to one of the screens, and saw that they had posed the camera on when Allen revealed himself in his new Innocence. The white haired teen seemed surprised at his own appearance. Smirking a little, I nudged him in the ribs.

"Now, don't you just look dashing" I teased.

He rolled his eyes, before nodding to another screen, where the camera was set on me. I blinked. Was that a halo above my head?

"Not so bad yourself" Allen retorted.

"Please, I'm gorgeous" I scoffed.

He snorted at my tone and I smiled innocently, before Bak cleared his throat to get back our attention.

"How are we going to call our new Innocence?" I asked curiously.

"We haven't decided yet" he shook his head.

"Clown…" muttered Allen, still eying his form. "It looks like a clown"

"It does" I nodded in agreement. "Oh, they said we didn't have any problem, by the way"

"Yeah, I heard from Rikei and the others" Bak nodded, shuffling through some data sheets.

"Thank you, for all you've done" Allen bowed.

"Yeah, thanks for the help, Stalker-chan!" I winked.

"Stop calling me that!" he sputtered, before finding his cool once again. "Anyway, how's your left arm, Allen? And your wings, Ary?"

"The feeling in it's still a bit numb" admitted the boy. "But otherwise, it's fine"

"I missed flying" I rolled my shoulders. "I'm all set and ready to go, though"

"That's good"

But he didn't seem all there anymore.

"Bak-san?" called Allen.

The man snapped his eyes back to us.

"Why do you look so down?" I frowned a little.

"It's nothing" he shook his head, before looking at Allen's screen once more. "A clown, eh? Sounds right. Kind of like God's Clown"

I coughed a laugh along with Gabriel.

 _Ain't that the fucking truth._

"You swear a lot for an Angel of the Lord, don't you?" I snorted quietly.

 _Honey, I've started existing before recorded history. I can't_ not _swear with all this time passed among your kind, and you're not exactly an role model either._

"Ain't about to fucking change either" I retorted.

"Ary, are you alright?" asked Allen, apparently concerned.

"Eh? Sure! I just discovered something really weird during our fight" I shrugged. "I think it's called schizophrenia"

My head suddenly stung, and I cringed, rubbing my forehead.

"Geez, can't you take a fucking joke?" I grunted.

"I think she's going insane" blinked the white haired boy.

"Even more than she was before?" scoffed Bak.

"Now, that's just mean, Stalker-chan" I huffed. "But anyway, what are you going to call it? I know you've got an idea, you have that glint in your eyes that's saying so"

He smiled a little.

"We'll call it _Crown Clown_ " he announced.

"Yeah, that fits" I nodded my agreement.

"Was it strong?" asked Allen suddenly. "Was my Innocence strong?"

"H-hai! It became a pretty powerful anti-Akuma weapon" confirmed Bak.

"Kiddo, you beat up this Level Three without so much as an effort" I poked his arm. "If that's not strong, then I don't know what is"

 _Cocaine._

I clapped an hand on my mouth to stop the laugh from erupting, but none of them seemed to remark my silent fit.

"Good! With that, I can finally go back to everyone!" smiled Allen.

"Oi, you ain't going back without me, remember?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Nan, it would be a drag to explain why to everyone" he retorted. "Everyone's okay, aren't they?"

"I think so" nodded Bak. "They must be in Edo right now"

I stiffened a little at that as Allen smiled.

"Edo?" I repeated.

"Ary? What's wrong?" the teen blinked.

"Uh, hello? Five Noahs, the Millennium Earl and most probably all other Level Threes there too?" I remembered with the 'duh' tone.

"Err, right…"

"Director, the phone lines to Headquarters have been repaired" announced one of the scientists.

"Well then, Ary, Walker, I'll see you two later" he nodded.

"Hai"

"Sure thing. Don't overwork yourself!"

He nodded, and we left the office.

* * *

"Do you think they're okay?" asked Allen as we made our way to the training room.

"I'm sure they're fine" I smiled.

 _Ary, if you want more thorough explanations, it'd be now._

"I'm going to my room, warn me when we're going, okay?"

"… sure?"

Well, he had the right to have some doubts, seeing as I never went to my room to stay there willingly. But, I shrugged it off and soon found myself sitting on my bed, in front of the mirror.

The creepy thing?

My reflection wasn't there. Gab was.

"Okay, this is kind of really cool and really weird" I grunted, sitting more comfortably.

 _"_ _You have questions, don't you? Shoot"_ he rolled his eyes.

He still wasn't moving his mouth, which was scaring the hell out of me.

"Okay… well, what exactly are my new abilities?

 _"_ _Well, against the Akumas, you can still use_ Feathered Blades _and_ Spin Rocket. _Your wings are bigger and stronger, which allows you to fly faster and longer. As said, you can take someone with you, but you have to take into account the weight of said person, the height to which you're flying, the distance you're doing-"_

"Alright, alright, I get it, I have to do some mathematical bullshit before allowing someone to hitch a ride" I cut. "What else?"

 _"_ _Impatient brat"_ he grunted. " _Anyway, you used_ Shield _sooner, which will stop any attack to hit your wings without damaging them"_

"That's useful" I nodded. "But I _do_ have other attacks, right?"

 _"_ _Yes, you do"_ he confirmed with a slight smile. _"Two others, in fact. However, these will only work on Noahs, and technically, humans too. They wont affect Akumas in the slightest, so be careful when you use them"_

"Got it"

 _"_ _Good. The first one is_ Heaven's Damnation. _When you use it on a Noah, it will trap his or her mind into a realm where all their greatest dreams and desires are real. As long as they don't get out of your range –it's a big one, so don't worry about it- they won't be able to move, prisoner of their own mind"_

"That's… kind of cool" I admitted. "They won't have any consciousness of what's happening around them then?"

 _"_ _None. The second attack is the same, but instead of dreams and desires, it's their greatest fears and nightmares. It's called_ Hell's Salvation"

"You chose the names, didn't you?" I smirked, amused.

" _What gave it away?_ "

We chuckled a little.

"Anyway, is there any way for them to break out of it?" I asked.

" _If they manage to overcome their dreams and/or fears, then yes, they'll break out. These attacks might not inflict any physical injuries, but psychological damage is another story. Even if they do break free, they won't be in a fighting shape"_

"That's good to know" I nodded.

" _Other than that, we're virtually immortal"_ he added casually.

"Seriously!?"

 _"_ _Well, you_ can _die, so don't just jump into a fire or something"_ he warned, half-serious and half-joking. _"However, since we can heal right away, it'll be harder to take us down. There are a few weapons able to inflict damage I'd be unable to heal, but only other Angels can use them, like Michael. He really is the only one you should worry about. Of course, getting your head cut off or your heart ripped out_ will _kill you. You're still human, after all"_

"That's still awesome" I grinned at him.

 _"_ _Sweetheart, it's_ me _we're talking about"_ he scoffed. _"Anyway, anything else?"_

I thought for a moment.

"Am I allowed to tell the others about you? Or is there some sort of divine law against it?" I finally asked.

 _"_ _You can do whatever you want_ " he shrugged. _"But you can't… trust, everyone, with this situation. What we can do will most likely already attract attention, and-"_

"Gab, what are you hiding?" I cut sharply.

He sighed.

 _"_ _Innocence is linked to our Father, and se are we_ " he said, more seriously. " _Which means that, in a certain way, we are linked to the Innocence. I've also got a certain... past experience, more or less. With some training, you'll become able to find the all the fragments scattered all around the world, and even their Host –theoretically speaking, of course, it's more difficult than that- and even spot the Akumas and Noahs, seeing as the civilians, demons and Hosts all have different auras, to which you are way more sensible now"_

"Wait, wait, wait" I shook my head. "When you say _all_ the fragments… do you mean-"

 _"_ _Yes, the Heart is one of them"_

"But this is amazing!" I jumped on my feet. "If I can find the Heart, we can stopped the Earl! This is brilliant!"

 _"_ _It's not as easy as it sounds"_ he shook his head. _"You'll have to train a lot, and our bond has to get stronger, and your own aura has to get bigger. It won't be an easy task, and you can't tell everyone about what you can do. Your friends are trustworthy people, but not all of them are free to do whatever they want like you or Allen"_

For a moment, my thoughts wandered to Lavi and Bookman, then Lenalee, Komui, Reever and the rest of the scientists. They were working directly under the Black Order –or their Clan- and I knew of a few higher ups that weren't exactly nice.

*cough* Leverrier *cough*

" _Plus, Apocryphos is most probably hiding as one of the Grand Masters, and if he finds out about us… that really won't end well_ " added Gabriel.

"I understand" I finally relented. "I won't say a thing for now, see how things unfold. However, I won't keep it away from my friends very long. I can't ask them to trust me if I don't trust them"

 _"_ _Very well. If anything else comes up, I'll warn you"_ he assured.

"About Allen's survival.." I bit my lower lip. "What exactly happened? Tyki pierced a hole in his heart. How could he survive?"

Gab's eyes glinted a little.

 _"_ _Because of us. We're Savior of Innocence. You coerced his dispersed Innocence into his heart to fill the hole, and bam! He's still alive"_

"That's… kind of cool and terrifying at the same time" I admitted.

 _"_ _I'll be going, now. I have to get into contact with Him"_

"You mean you can talk to God through my head?" I asked, stunned. "You know, this is getting creepier by the second but, in a way, I'm really glad you're here"

 _"_ _Why is that_?" he asked with curiosity.

"We're one" I smiled. "Without me, you can't do a thing, but the same goes if it's the other way around: without you, I'm nothing either. All this time, I trusted _Angel_ more than anything or anyone, because it – _you_ \- never failed me before. Plus, you don't lie to me, I can tell that much, and it's very appreciated. I doubt you actually have to give in to my spoiled demands. So, I trust you, and I'm really glad we're in this together"

He looked away and coughed, apparently embarrassed, which made me laugh.

" _You're not… so bad of Host yourself"_ he finally admitted, not even looking at me in the eyes. _"But we'll have this heart to heart another time, okay? Allen is coming this way"_

"Wait!"

He eyed me curiously.

 _"_ _What?"_

"Is there _any_ way for me to talk to you without looking like I'm going insane?" I pleaded.

He snickered at that.

" _It's your mind, Ary-chan. I'm not the one to control it, I'm just hitching a ride until you drop dead"_

"Geez, don't I feel loved" I mumbled. _"_ But anyway. See you later, Trickster"

A Cheshire cat grin spread on his face, before he waved.

" _Later, Hime"_

And with that, he disappeared. I rolled my eyes at the stupid nickname and walked to the door. As I opened it, Allen stood in the doorway, ready to knock. He blinked in surprise.

"You're still here" he stated dumbly. "I thought I'd have to hunt you down because you couldn't stay in place"

"I was just… meditating" I shrugged, smiling innocently.

"You were meditating" he repeated, clearly not convinced. "Right… anyway, let's go. It's safe to use the Ark"

"Then let's move! With their luck, I'm sure the others are into some sort of really deep shit. They always do when I'm not around" I pressed, taking the lead. "Plus, we don't- hey, is that a new uniform?"

He chuckled a little as I checked out the said uniform in wonder. He then handed me a small package.

"Here's yours. Go change and we'll be going"

"Right away!"

* * *

"Okay, I think I'm in love with it" I sighed happily, stretching as much as I could. "It's so comfortable! Plus, the last one was kind of shredded. I swear you could have made it pass for mozzarella... yup, totally in love"

"The others must have gotten theirs too" nodded Allen. "Don't go and make Lavi jealous, though"

My step faltered and I shot him a very unique look.

"The hell are you talking about?"

He stopped in his tracks, eyed me for a moment, before he broke into a devilish smile.

"Nothing!"

And with that, he kept on walking.

"A-Allen! Oi, Kiddo! What the- you can't just say- Allen!"

But he kept his mouth shut as Gabriel howled in laughter in the back of my mind. More than annoyed, I jumped on his back.

"Super sneak attack!"

He avoided me at the last second, making me crash into the wall. He snickered as I rubbed my sore nose.

"Ow…"

"You can't yell when you do a 'sneak attack', Ary" he mocked.

"You know what? You're mean, Kiddo. You're very, very mean. But you know what else?"

He paled a little as an evil smile graced my lips.

"I can be a real bitch when I want to"

With that, I started walking once again towards the hall where was kept the Ark.

"Wonder how Komui is going to take it when certain a little birdie passes by and tells him all about a certain crush on a certain little sister…" I trailed off sweetly.

I could _hear_ the sweat dripping from his forehead.

"A-Ary! No- no need to go to such extents! And I don't lik- Ary!"

Cackling, I ran ahead, the white haired teen hot on my heels.

* * *

We were now in front of the Ark, standing proudly in our new uniforms and more ready than ever to go back to our friends and the mission. Bak handed us a golden earring each, which I eyed in wonder.

"It's a transmitter that we're developing" informed the Head. "With this, you'll be able to contact Headquarters"

"Sweet!"

I quickly put on mine, and there was a little buzz, before a very familiar voice echoed on the other side of the line.

 **"** **Can you hear me? Ary? Allen?"**

"Boss!" I exclaimed happily.

"Komui-san" greeted Allen, more calmly but smiling.

 **"** **Hey, it's been a while, you two"**

"Are we good to go, Boss?" I asked, turning to face the Ark.

He sighed, sign that he really wasn't okay with this operation but that he gave in anyway.

 **"** **Yes, you are. However, I am your stop light"**

"What do you mean?" asked the teen next to me.

This time, there were some exclamations on the other side, and I managed to catch a few, which made me grin.

"Hey, Reese!" I called. "Are you really crying? Aw, I feel so appreciated! I miss you too, guys!"

There were laughs on the other side, and Komui took back the lead.

 **"** **Seeing as we won't be able to stop the both of you, we're going to use these transmitters to board it together. If I deem it to be even the slightest bit dangerous, I'll you both turn right around"**

"What? No way! We won't turn back!" protested Allen.

"What he said" I nodded firmly.

But Komui just laughed once again.

 **"** **You two really haven't change, have you? It's really good to hear from you. However, you are our precious friends too. Don't you think we want to protect you? Or do you not consider us your friends?"**

"Geez, no need for the guilty card" I grunted.

"We get it" Allen gritted his teeth.

Surprised at his tone, I turned to him, and snorted.

"Kiddo, you're blushing" I pointed out.

"Am not!"

"But anyway, Boss, all of you aren't our friends" I retorted to the earring. "You're our family!"

"Headquarters is the home we can always go back too" added Allen with a little sigh.

"So no matter what, we're coming back, and with everyone else!" I pumped my fist.

Their was a choking sound on the other side of the line, some sort of sob, and a buzz, making me frown.

"Err… hello?

It was Reever who answered me.

 **"** **It's alright, Ary. The Supe only fainted when he heard you so optimistic. He's not the only one either. You seem more… confident, in yourself"**

"God, with that you make it sound like I was a depressed and suicidal, mentally instable teenager" I rolled my eyes. "But… let's just say that I had a wake up call. Can we get a move on now?"

There was another buzz, and Komui was back once again.

 **"** **Sorry for that. But yes! Let's get moving, people!"**

"Wait!"

Surprised, I turned to Allen.

"What is it?"

"We forgot someone" he said fervently.

I thought a second, before understanding washed over me.

"Shit! Boss, we'll be right back!"

And with that, we started running to find a very dear friend.

* * *

"For?" called Allen when we reached to the sealed entrance.

"Hey, Nasturtium! Still alive or do we have to search for a corpse?" I added.

Allen whacked me behind the head for my rudeness, but a chuckle answered anyway.

"How are you doing, For?" he asked.

"Not bad" her voice echoed around.

"So, not going to die on us?" I wanted to make sure.

"No, I'm not" she chuckled once again.

"That's good to hear" nodded Allen with a smile.

"After resting a bit more in here, I'll be back in top shape" she assured. "I'll just be bored for a while, seeing as it takes forever. Guess I'll see the two weird Exorcists off from here"

"Weird? Please, we're awesome" I scoffed. "You're just jealous of our amazingness"

"I'm dying from envy" she drawled.

There was a moment of silence, before we burst into laughter.

"God, it's going to be boring around here without you two" she sighed.

"Aw, don't worry, Nasturtium!" I grinned. "We'll come back to see you! Tease Stalker-chan for me?"

"Will do, Ary. I'm going to sleep, now. I'm exhausted. Both of you should get lost already!"

I exchanged a smile with Allen.

"We're heading out" he simply said.

"Take care!"

She didn't answer, but I knew she heard me. After that, we headed back to the hall.

* * *

"Are we really that weird?" finally asked Allen.

"Kiddo, you love humans _and_ Akumas" I pointed out. "And I have a fricking halo above my head each time I active my Innocence. Pretty sure it can't be considered normal"

He laughed at that, and I eyed him curiously.

"Do you really mean it?" I then asked.

"What?"

"Saving both humans and Akumas" I precised. "Do you really mean it?"

At that, he turned solemnly serious.

"I do"

"Good" I broke into a smile.

I ruffled his hair and couldn't help but remark that he had gotten taller –with great annoyance, you can easily guess.

"Then I'll stand by you all the way, Kiddo" I assured.

"Thanks, Ary"

He seemed so relieved at that moment that it made me kind uncomfortable.

"Okay, okay, we reached our drama quota" I broke the moment. "Now let's go, we really can't take any more time"

He simply smiled, and I smiled back.

 _He's bound to do great things. You'll have to help him, Ary._

 _I will. With everything I've got._

* * *

"We're back!" I announced.

"Sorry for that" added Allen.

"It's okay. Ready to go?" asked Bak.

"As much as we can be" I assured.

"Rohfa and the others aren't here" remarked Allen, looking around.

"Wonder if saying farewell was too painful" added the Head.

"Geez, lighten up! You make it sound as if we're about to die" I rolled my eyes. "Have some faith!"

"With you onboard, we have to be ready for _anything_ " he deadpanned.

"That's just plain mean"

"Please, tell them that I'm really grateful for all they've done" said my friend.

"Same. And thanks to all of you too!" I waved at the scientists around.

They simply chuckled and waved back. Then, we headed for the stairs leading to the get. I stopped moving as my gaze lingered for a moment on the black butterfly flying above our heads. Teez, if I remembered correctly.

"Ary?" asked softly Allen.

"Remind that, next time we see Tyki Mikk, I have to punch him _really_ hard"

He laughed nervously.

"Err, right…"

"W-wait!"

We turned to the woman's voice, and saw the three scientists running at us. Rohfa had a small package in her hands, and she handed it to me.

"It's- it's nothing big, Ary, but we saw how you always tried to grab something at your neck even if there wasn't anything and then For told us you lost a necklace during you fight and- well, we just thought-"

She stopped talking when I opened the little box, and my heart missed a beat when I saw a little silver chain with a feather shaped piece of what I easily recognized as Innocence.

"Is that mine?" I asked curiously.

"W-we picked it up from one of your feathers from the fight with the Level Three" Rikei scratched the back of his head.

"We thought you would like it" concluded Shifu, more quiet than usual.

"Like it?" I repeated, staring at the gift with wide eyes. "I love it! You guys are amazing!"

I hugged Rohfa tightly, before kissing the cheeks of the boys. They both turned red, which made me snicker, and I put on the necklace.

It fit perfectly.

"Thank you so much, for everything" I bowed deeply.

"We'll be going, now" added Allen, placing an hand on my shoulder.

"Be careful!" called Rohfa.

"See you two later!" added Rikei.

Climbing the stairs to the Ark, I waved at them, then glanced down at the necklace and smiled a little.

"Ready, Ary?" my friend asked, next to me.

I eyed the portal-like door and, unconsciously, grabbed the pendant.

"Let's go"

"Ary! Walker!"

We turned to Bak and the others.

"Ary, the name of your new Innocence is _Archangel_!" he announced. "It's not exactly creative, but…"

"It's perfect" I grinned.

"Good thing you like it, it was a drag to find it. Be sure to bring your asses back here and alive!" the Head exclaimed.

"We will!" I assured with a smile.

With that, we stepped in the Ark.

 _Archangel?_

 _*I like it, Hime*_

 _Yeah, me too._

* * *

 _Somewhere in Edo_

"They're still alive" announced Tyki with some sort of amusement and annoyance at the same time. "They may even be on their way here soon. You can see them!"

But, at his own words, the Noah offered a sick grin.

"If you live long enough, that is"

Lavi simply readjusted his hold on his hammer with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll do my best to stay alive until then" he nodded, his eyes hardening. "And when they get here, there'll be no one but us to greet them"

At that, all the others nodded their assent. Tyki's eyes turned colder, but he didn't loose his smile.

"It seems you'll give me some fun, then" he raised an eyebrow.

The redhead braced himself.

 _Come on, Ary, Allen._

"Here I come!"

 _We're waiting for you._

* * *

 **So, here are Crown Clown and Archangel. For some clarifications: _Hell's Salvation_ and _Heaven's Damnation_ won't work on Akumas, for it inflicts psychological damage. Since their souls and minds aren't exactly all there, they're ****immune to those attacks. Of course, I'm not done with developping Ary's abilities. It's too much fun.**

 **Again, I'm ready to answer any question about Gabriel, avoiding spoilers of course!**

 **Question: What will be Ary's new necklace's purpose?**

 **Reviews!**


	25. Back In The Game

**And I'm back yet again! No reviews yet again too... *sigh***

 **Anyway!**

 **Answer: Well, I can say it's going to protect her. That's all I'll admit ;-)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything was pitch black.

No, seriously. I couldn't see a damn thing.

"Kiddo? Still alive?" I asked, looking around in vain.

"I'm here, Ary" he answered quietly, just next to me.

I managed to grab his hand –I really didn't want to get lost right now- and there was a little buzz of light from our earrings.

 **"** **C-can you hear me, Allen, Ary? Have you two entered the Ark?"**

I cringed when a white light suddenly blinded me, and it took me a few seconds to readjust to the luminosity. When I finally opened my eyes, I took a step back.

"Holy shit…" I whispered, looking around.

 **"** **Something wrong?"**

"N-nothing" Allen shook his head, stunned too. "Just... different from what we've expected"

"That's an understatement" I whistled, checking out the place.

There were white buildings all around, a clean pavement under our feet, a bright, blue sky above our heads and even fresh flowers in the pots on the sides of the street we were in.

 **"** **What can you see?"**

"It's like the south" answered Allen. "Like a town lined with white buildings"

 **"** **How're you bodies?"**

"Well, I feel just fine" I admitted, gazing at myself to see if there was a problem. "Good, even. This place… it's soothing"

 _Father was the one to create it before it befall in the hands of the Noahs. That's why you feel so connected to the place._

"I'm okay too" nodded my friend. "Care to take a look around, Ary?"

"Sure"

 **"** **Be careful! Don't get lost!"**

We sweatdropped at our Boss's cries, and we started walking down the street. There didn't seem to be anything alive here, except for the flowers and the damn Teez still hanging around. I was really tempted to slice it in two, but was afraid it might warned Tyki of our arrival.

"Hey, Kiddo" I turned to him.

"Stop calling me that" he grunted. "And what is it?"

"What you said sooner, about making Lavi jealous… what was that supposed to mean?" I asked, curious.

Their was a choking laughter on the other end of the line, and also in my head, but I ignored the both of them and focused my full attention on a half-amused, half-frightened Allen.

"I don't remem-"

"Hey, Boss? Did you know that Kiddo and J-"

He clamped an hand over his mouth, chuckling nervously.

"Alright, alright! It's just that, ever since I saw you with him for the first time, I thought you two were together or something, but you prove me wrong when you reacted that way sooner" he gave in.

I blinked at him.

"Together? What do you mean?"

"Well… you know, _together_ together"

I stilled for a moment.

"Wait, you mean _that together_ together!?"

"Well… yeah?"

"The hell is wrong with you?" I snorted. "Bookboy and me? That's just plain rubbish! I mean- we don't- we're not- this is ridiculous! Where did you get that idea!?"

He raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, shaking his head.

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one acting all touchy-feely with Lavi!" he retorted.

"We- what?"

Gabriel was literally dying of laughter right now, and Komui was choking on his own on the other side of the transmitter.

And then?

I fucking _blushed._

"We're not like that! Lavi and me- we're just friends! _Friends_! A big bro and a sister, at most, but not- _that!"_ I protested fervently.

"Denial" he mocked.

"I just- Urgh! I'm going for a tour of the place, I- I'll be back in two" I grunted, stomping away.

He chuckled as I quickly headed for anywhere but there, very embarrassed.

* * *

Why the hell would he think that? Lavi and me? That was just plain crazy.

"… love?"

Instantly, I pushed away this stupid thought. Why the hell would I love Bookboy?

Her? Him? He was just her friend, and nothing more!

 _Really?_

I rolled my eyes at his suggestive tone.

"Shut up, Trickster" I mumbled, kicking a lonely stone.

 **"** **Ary? Who are you talking too?"**

"Boss? I'll hang off for a moment, okay?"

 **"** **Wait, Ary-"**

I deactivated the earring, which left me alone with my traitorous thoughts.

Sure, he was really funny, kind, understanding and crazy intelligent.

He was always there for me and the others, always ready to lift our spirits when we needed it the most.

He could be so dumb sometimes, too! He wasn't reckless, per se, but there were some moments where he could act so stupidly!

He was kind of a weirdo, to be honest but, then again, wasn't I too? And he always knew what to say, could hold a decent conversation when needed too, wasn't overly serious or anything…

He kept going after any woman he judged alright to the eye, though. Keeps on yelling his stupid 'STRIKE' each and every time, which is kind of annoying, to be honest.

He was mysterious, in his own way. Sometimes, a flash of tiredness played in his eye. Tired of life, most probably, but we had no secrets for each other. He was a great friend, an even greater brother and confident.

His smile always made me feel better, and his laugh-

 _For Father's sake, Hime, you're so whipped!_

I froze in my tracks. What-

 _Girl, I've been living long enough to know when someone's in love, and I know you well enough to say that you're just in plain denial right now._

"But- Alright, even if I _did_ love him –which is a ludicrous idea-, he's still a Bookman in training, and we're both Exorcists of the Black Order for now. If I _did_ wanted to start any sort of relationship, _hypothetically_ speaking, it would be downright impossible!"

 _Don't you think it's worth a try?_

"Still hypothetically speaking, the risks that would come with this-"

 _You never feared the risks before._

"And what if he doesn't love me, hm?" I huffed.

 _Now you sound like a spoiled brat. I thought it was all hypotheticals?_

"I-it is!" I spluttered, my cheeks flaming. "And- this is just insane! Lavi and I got two _way_ different paths. He's got to be a Bookman, and I'm the 'Protector and Savior', remember? It'll only end in hurt and it's not a bound I'm ready to –or will, for that matter- cross!"

 _Hime, love knows no bounds. You're human. You will make mistakes. However, no matter the destinies, or the obstacles, it'll all work out in the end. Father doesn't forsakes love, Ary-chan. If yours is bound to happen with that guy, it will._

I bit my lower lip and started playing with my pendant.

"But… it's all hypotheticals" I shook my head. "And why the hell is it up to debate? If I don't- I'm just not- I-"

I struggled to finish my sentence, in vain.

 _See? You can't even deny it anymore._

I banged my head on the nearest wall, making Gab chuckle.

"Damn it"

I was doomed.

And where did _that_ lead me, now?

* * *

"Ary?"

"I hate you, Kiddo" I grunted, joining his side.

He snorted. Apparently, my evident self-struggle –more or less- and what conclusion I came with was evident. However, he was kind enough not to bring it up, and I suddenly remembered that I kind of cut all contact with Komui. Cringing in anticipation, I put it back on.

 **"** **Ary!?"**

"Hey, Boss-"

 **"** **Don't you do that again! You're in enemy territory right now, for all we know! Next time you pull something like that off, I swear I'll put you on paperwork duty for a** ** _month_** **!"**

"Hai" I gulped.

The white haired boy chuckled, then sighed.

"Komui-san?" he asked.

 **"** **Hai?"**

"Is everyone alright?"

I slowed down a little, wanting to hear the answer. I might not show it, but I was worried too. I knew they were all still alive, somehow, I could tell, but there was a difference between being alive and being alright.

At Komui's silence, though, my step faltered.

"Boss?" I called, frowning a little.

 **"** **In times of stress, it's best to think of fun things"**

"Fun things?" repeated Allen, confused.

 **"** **Can't you think of any? Let me. When everyone returns, I'll greet you all with a 'Welcome Home' and a pat on the back. I'll hug Lenalee as hard as I can. Ary, I'm going to give you a earful for scaring us so much, and you and Allen will get lots of food. Lavi'll probably fall asleep on the spot, so I'll put a blanket over him. The adults will toast the occasion, and we'll throw a huge party before going to bed. It'll be wonderful. And then, though a little late, Kanda will show up with that look of his, and we'll all be together again"**

There was a moment of silence, and I allowed myself a smile.

"I'd like that" I admitted softly.

"I'm sure everyone will" nodded Allen, smiling too.

 **"** **We'll be waiting, then"**

* * *

As we exited the Ark, we arrived on a battlefield. Or rather, what was left of it. Or what wasn't?

 _Not the time, Hime._

 _Right, sorry._

I gazed around. We were now in Edo, and flashes of lights were appearing and disappearing not far from our position. The whole ground seemed covered in a black, ice-like substance, and I could feel a weird thrumming in the back of my head.

 _Innocence. Your friend Lenalee's, I'd presume. I'll explain later, just focus on now._

 _Got it._

"There are Noahs, just like the Level Three said" Allen remarked, eying the happening battles.

"Jumper is in the big crystal over there" I frowned. "The Earl is going for it. We have to move _now"_

"I take care of the Earl, bring Lenalee to safety" he ordered.

"Hai!"

Activating my wings, I flew at a barely controlled speed toward the giant block of crystal-like Innocence.

* * *

As the Earl was about to grab Lenalee, something sliced through the crystal and nearly cut his arm off. Backing away as the solid Innocence exploded, he narrowed his eyes at the white form crouched between him and the girl. He couldn't make out anything from the interrupter, except for a flash of red.

Then, the form got up, revealing a human silhouette. The white light died down somewhat, finally revealing a very familiar girl to everyone present present. She grinned.

"Yo! How's life going?"

* * *

"Yo! How's life going?" I grinned, making the peace sign.

"A-Ary?"

I looked down at Lenalee, who seemed about to burst into tears.

"Hey, Jumper. I'm glad to see you again. Nice pixie cut, by the way"

"Ary!"

She jumped into my arms, and I hugged her back tightly.

There was a snarl, and we both turned in time to see the Millennium Earl attacking once again, only to be stopped by Allen, in all his Crown Clown's glory.

"Allen…" whispered Lenalee, an hand on her mouth.

"Good evening" sneered the Earl, backing away slightly. "It seems we meet again, Allen Walker!"

"And what am I, the invisible man?" I huffed. "Kiddo, you always have to steal my spotlight, don't you?"

"Ary, not the time" he sweatdropped.

"You're quite troublesome, the both of you" remarked the Earl.

At last, some recognition!

 _Hime, shut up._

"Every time I see you, you get in my way" pursued the Millennium old man.

There was a sob, and I looked down at Lenalee, only to see her crying. Smiling a little, I tightened my hold on her.

"We won't let you lay an hand on Lenalee" assured Allen, raising his arm.

"Or any of our friends, for that matter" I added firmly.

"Very well, then. I'll let all of you get reacquainted…"

He suddenly jumped, weird dark spheres forming into his hands.

"Kiddo!"

"Got it!"

Passing an arm behind Lenalee's back and the other under her knees, I darted away from our spot, rising high into the sky while Allen engaged the Earl. I quickly made my way to where three man that I recognized from Anita's crew, a now conscious Miranda, a tired-looking Bookman, and even Tiedoll-sensei, had retreated.

Gently, I placed Lenalee down next to them, and remarked that she had fainted.

"Take care of her!" I ordered, before flying back to the fight.

Allen was strong, yes, but not enough to be much of a challenge to the Earl. However, maybe with the two of us, we might be able to do something.

* * *

As I approached, Allen was blasted away. Instantly, I jumped in.

"Feathered Blades!"

Two of them managed to graze the man, cutting clean his coat, and I could tell that his eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he lifted them to me.

"Ne, ne, Earl, I've got some bad blood with a few of your Noahs" I crossed my arms over my chest. "Think I've got time to settle scores before you run away like a fucking coward?"

"Such foul tongue for a lady to have" he remarked, venom in his voice. "How about I rip it out!?"

He suddenly jumped, and I managed to block his sword –where the hell did that one came from?- just in time with _Shield_. He flew back on a few meters as I gently landed on the glassy ground.

"Earl, I ain't a lady" I remarked, an hand on my hips. "I'm a good friend to have, though. Because… when my friends are hurt…"

At that, I showed him a toothy grin, and started batting my wings to a methodic rhythm –more like Gab but anyway-. My feathers, now steel, started emitting a series of tinkling sounds in a strange –somewhat dismal- melody.

"When my friends are hurt…" I repeated, my smile turning bitter. "I become a real bitch"

 _Hell's Salvation!_

Instantly, he stopped moving. The sphere that were forming in his hands disappeared, and Allen appeared by my side.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. What'd you do?"

"It won't work much longer" I shook my head, hearing Gab's words. "Get ready to strike"

He nodded firmly and, not five seconds later, the Earl came back to his senses. Hissing with so much hate I never thought I'd feel one day, he headed for me at an incredible pace. He jumped, higher than before, and shot a way bigger sphere than before.

Reacting instinctively, I wrapped my wings in _Shield_ once again as Allen's _Crown Clown_ wrapped itself on the top. There was an explosion, and I actually felt the blow this time, meaning it would most probably would have killed us if we hadn't reacted in time.

Gotta love _Archangel._

And Gab too, for that matter.

 _Aw, I love you too, Hime!_

 _Any important damage I should be aware of?_

 _None. The Earl left, by the way._

 _Thought so._

Allen retreated his Innocence, which allowed me to fold my wings in my back. There was an heavy smoke all around us, and I couldn't see a thing a meter ahead.

"You holding up, Kiddo?"

"I'm alright" he nodded. "Where's the Earl?"

"Gone. Do you think-"

Another very familiar presence approached, and I grinned a little. Then, taking the momentum, I jumped on Lavi's back.

"LAVIII!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

We both stumbled to the ground, and I started laughing. I rolled off of him and he gazed at me with a wide eye. Allen simply shook his head at my antics.

"Hey, Bookboy!" I grinned.

Was it me or he seemed…

 _Hot? Awesome? Different? You're in love, sweetheart, it's okay to feel that way._

I sweatdropped a little.

 _I was about to say 'injured' but if you're that much into men, I won't judge you._

 _N-no! It's not-_

"It was about damn time you showed up!" he suddenly exclaimed, ruffling our hair. "And seriously, Ary? Was that the only thing you could think about?"

"Aw, I missed you too, Bookboy!" I hugged him tightly.

He stiffened a little a my embrace, which made me frown. Had I done something?

Well, I guess I _did_ kind of left for a while. Was he mad at me? Damn, I hoped not. With everything going on-

Stop there. Right there. Bad brain, bad.

 _Denial…_

As I pulled away, another familiar presence made itself known.

"Stop right where you are, bastard!" snarled a new voice.

Something came out of the smoke cloud, and Allen barely had time to react, stopping the oncoming blow with his arm.

"K-Kanda?" he squeaked out, apparently terrified by the… err, welcome.

"Beansprout?" Kanda's eyes widened in surprise.

"My name is Allen" grunted the boy, annoyed.

"What are _you_ doing here?" retorted the older one, apparently annoyed too.

"Same to you"

"I was after the Noah with the curly hair" answered the asstard.

He turned to Lavi and I.

"Oi, Lavi, any idea where he went?"

He then realized that I was here too, and stiffened.

"Oi, still alive, Jerkface?" I called, huffing a little.

"You're here too" he stated. "Just great"

"About time you remarked too" I replied. "As for the Noah, his name is Tyki Mikk. And yeah, he's a real bastard"

"Come to think of it, the ripped guy I was fighting disappeared too" frowned Lavi, looking around.

The cloud of dust finally fall back on the ground, revealing an empty battlefield.

"What's happening here?" the redhead scratched the back of his head. "The Noahs have completely vanished…"

 _Wonder he can do other things with these hands…_

 _GAB!_

Kanda glared at me.

"Hey, what's with the face? Don't act as if I'm the one who got in your way!" I protested. "Blame yourself. I'm sure he managed to got away 'cause you're such a slowpoke, Jerkface"

"What was that, Akahato?" a vein bulged on his forehead. "It was your punk ass that barged in here like a sloth, later than everyone else, along with the annoying one here. What were you thinking, you slow Beansprout?"

"My name's Allen, how many times do I have to tell you?" barked the boy. "Oh, that's right, I forgot that your brain is as slow as the rest of you. My bad"

"That's some attitude you got there" Kanda bared his teeth. "I'll show you who's really the dumb shit here. En garde! I'll chop off that white hair of yours and sell it to some old geezers! "

He brandished _Mugen_ to Allen's face, who just sighed, as if he was explaining why the sky was blue to some spoiled brat.

"Wouldn't selling black hair get you a better deal?"

"For your insolence, I'll leave only one strand behind!"

"Are you trying to turn me into a kappa?"

 _They're ridiculous._

 _I know._

I eyed Lavi a little. Now that I looked closer, he wasn't half-bad when it came to looks…

 _Half-bad? Honey, you won't be able to find much better out there, no matter how many fishes there are in the sea._

Ignoring him, I whistled a little at the fight, and nudged Lavi's side.

"Is it me or Allen actually grew some backbone?" I asked.

"More like a first-years grader's fight" he snorted. "Must be your bad influence"

 _He's acting like usual, if not a little stiff. Hope he's okay, but he seems really injured…_

"Excuse me? I have a perfectly good influence on everyone, thank you very much!" I huffed.

 _Damn, he's annoying. Kind of missed it, though._

"Aw, I don't blame you, Tenshi" he cooed, patting my head. "It must be because you're so short, nothing you can control, really!"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

 _Or not._

 _Jerk._

* * *

 _A few minutes sooner_

Lavi shut his eyes close as an explosion happened not too far away.

He had only caught a glimpse of everything that was happening –he wasn't sure _what_ was happening, though- and only knew that Lenalee was now safe, thanks to the weird apparition. Too caught up in his fight, he hadn't been able to see who it was.

And then, barely two minutes later, an heavy cloud of dust and smoke rose around him, blinding him to his surroundings. He was tensed, ready to fight off the ripped guy again, when two very familiar voices echoed.

 _That can't be_ , he frowned, heading for the source. _There's no way…_

Something suddenly landed on his back.

"LAVIII!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

Wailing his arms in fright, he lost his balance and landed on the ground rather harshly. He bite back a wince as his injured arm hit the ice-like floor, but was too stunned by the sudden appearance of a certain red haired teen to mind the pain.

"Hey, Bookboy" she grinned.

He could simply stare at her, wide eye.

She seemed to sweatdropped at something only she could hear, and realization hit him like a wall brick.

It was her.

Aryane was back.

"It was about damn time you showed up!" he finally exclaimed, ruffling her hair. "And seriously, Ary? Was that the only thing you could think about?"

It was her. Ary was back. It was her. Ary was-

"Aw, I missed you too, Bookboy!"

Holy shit, she was hugging him.

Should he hug back? Was it to straightforward? Would she be suspicious or-

Wait. That was _Tenshi_ he was thinking about, probably the densest girl he ever met when it concerned feelings and anything of the sort.

So, he hugged back. After that, as she pulled away, she snapped her head to the right.

"Stop right where you are, bastard!" snarled a new voice, coming that way.

Something came out of the smoke cloud, and Allen barely had time to react, stopping the oncoming blow with his arm.

"K-Kanda?" he squeaked out.

"Beansprout?" Kanda's eyes widened in surprise.

Instantly, the surprise disappeared, and both glared daggers at each other.

"My name is Allen" grunted the boy, annoyed.

"What are _you_ doing here?" retorted the older one, apparently annoyed too.

"Same to you"

"I was after the Noah with the curly hair" answered the samurai.

Then, he turned to the two teens, but Lavi wasn't really paying attention. How had Ary known that Kanda was coming that way?

"Oi, Lavi, any idea where he went?"

He shrugged in answer, and the long-haired Exorcist suddenly stiffened, now only noticing the girl next to him.

"Oi, still alive, Jerkface?" she called, huffing a little.

 _Damn, she's kind of cute when- shut up!_

"You're here too" he stated. "Just _great_ "

"About time you remarked, too" she replied. "As for the Noah, his name is Tyki Mikk. And yeah, he's a real bastard"

 _How does she know his name? Was he the one who attacked her and Allen?_

"Come to think of it, the ripped guy I was fighting disappeared too" frowned Lavi, looking around.

The cloud of dust finally fall back on the ground, revealing an empty battlefield.

"What's happening here?" the redhead scratched the back of his head. "The Noahs have completely vanished…"

At that, Kanda glared at the red haired girl, who glared back.

"Hey, what's with the face? Don't act as if I'm the one who got in your way!" she protested. "Blame yourself. I'm sure he managed to got away 'cause you're such a slowpoke, Jerkface"

"What was that, Akahato?" a vein bulged on his forehead. "It was your punk ass that barged in here like a sloth, later than everyone else, along with the annoying one here. What were you thinking, you slow Beansprout?"

"My name's Allen, how many times do I have to tell you?" barked the boy. "Oh, that's right, I forgot that your brain is as slow as the rest of you. My bad"

"That's some attitude you got there" Kanda bared his teeth. "I'll show you who's really the dumb shit here. En garde! I'll chop off that white hair of yours and sell it to some old geezers! "

He brandished _Mugen_ to Allen's face, who just sighed, as if he was explaining why the sky was blue to some spoiled brat.

"Wouldn't selling black hair get you a better deal?"

"For your insolence, I'll leave only one strand behind!"

"Are you trying to turn me into a kappa?"

Aryane whistled a little, and nudged Lavi's side.

"Is it me or Allen actually grew some backbone?" she asked.

 _Allen seems different. Wonder if Ary changed too._

"More like a first-years grader's fight" he snorted. "Must be your bad influence"

"Excuse me? I have a perfectly good influence on everyone, thank you very much!" she huffed.

 _There doesn't seem to be anything too out of character, except for the fact that she spaces out more._

"Aw, I don't blame you, Tenshi" he cooed, patting her head. "It must be because you're so short, nothing you can control, really!"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

 _Yup, definitely her._

* * *

 _On the Ark_

The Earl dragged Tyki and Skin by their collars, in the street. The curly-haired one was now taking a smoke, still a little dazed by his previous fights.

"Aah… that was so much fun…" he sighed. "How come we have to head back now, Millennium Earl? That Exorcist girl could have been the Heart, you know"

"So heavy..." the Earl ignored him. "You two have grown up quite a bit, ne?"

"Hey, hold up. Are you even listening?" asked Tyki, puffing some smoke.

"There's only four more hours left until the download's complete, Tyki"

Surprised, he raised his head and saw Road sitting on a balcony.

"Ah, Road? Good job on the programming" nodded the Earl.

"I want a year's worth of candy for all the effort" she drawled.

"Hai, hai. Oh, that's right. Speaking of work… Tyki-pon's target has come back"

At that, the man stiffened, wide eyes.

"Eh? He's still alive? Left arm and all?" he stuttered.

"Alive and kicking" confirmed his master. "He got in my way quite splendidly, along with the red haired devil"

"W-what? The girl _too_? She can't be back, I ripped one of her wing apart!" he protested.

"If my guess about he true identity is correct, then it is no wonder a mere ripped wing hadn't stopped her" the Millennium Archduke shook his head. "But, she put some serious halt in my advance too"

 _Damn it_ , cursed silently the Noah.

"Ne, ne, what are you talking about?" asked Road, latching onto the Earl's neck.

"Tyki-pon's incompetence"

"Eh?" she smiled devilishly.

She suddenly smell something strange. Curious, she gazed down at the curly-haired Noah.

"Ne, Tyki, did you change cigarette brands?" she asked, sniffing around.

"What's with this, suddenly?" he grunted. "No, they're the same"

She looked around suspiciously, before shrugging.

"Hey, where's Lero?"

 _So, Cheating Boy A and Milady are back, eh?_

Tyki's eyes glinted in some sort of sick delight.

 _Guess it's time for round two._

 _I won't hold back this time, though, twin's target or not._

* * *

 **I've got so much fun writing Lavi and Ary's interactions!**

 **Also, are the mental conversations between Ary and Gabriel too confusing? I'm trying to be as clear as possible.**

 **Question: Do you like Gabriel? 'Cause I do ;-)**

 **Reviews, even though I lost hope at this point. Oh well.**


	26. Prisoners Of The Ark PART 1

**Hey, I GOT A REVIEW! Thank God, I thought I had been abandonned... It wasn't exactly one I was waiting for, to be honest, but it gave me a good laugh so it's all well and good.**

 **Answer: I don't know for others but, as said sooner, I love him. He's so fun to write!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

We were now sitting under a bridge –most probably the only thing left of what had been a city-. The others had explained everything that we missed and we did the same, explaining in a short resume what had happened at the Asian Branch.

Lady Anita, Mahoja and the rest of the crew, saved for the three man with us, were dead. Lenalee had destroyed a Level Three, but to the price of her Innocence for the time being. I could still feel it there, but it was different from the others'.

Miranda had acted as our replacement, and Kanda, Marie and Tiedoll joined the party not long after the battle started. The woman had used her Innocence to heal their wounds temporarily, Lenalee was still unconscious –which was normal, apparently-, and we were now taking a well deserved break.

 _Hime, you didn't do much, you know._

 _I'm tired and hungry and kind of cold. Sue me._

"So _Crown_ _Clown_ , Lenalee's _Dark Boots_ and _Archangel_ all have the possibility to be the Heart" remarked Tiedoll-sensei.

 _If they think we're the Heart, than it's easier to pass under the radar._

 _How's that? They'll keep watch on me now!_

 _Yes, but they won't suspect that you're a freaking Innocence GPS._

 _Touché._

"Let's try piercing this story together" sighed the Marshall. "Cross's group planned to meet up with him and destroy the demon factory, isn't that right?"

"Hai" confirmed Bookman.

"However, our own reason for coming here is to find more Innocence Hosts" the man shook his head. "I know this may sound harsh, given that we've just met, but I have no intention of helping Cross"

Everyone tensed a little at that, but I already knew where this was going.

"That man, Marian, thinks of other humans as nothing but pawns. Even you, his supposed guards, were just bait with his modified Akumas in the plan he laid out" he grunted, scratching his head. "I wonder if it's even possible to work with a man like that…"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Allen sweatdropped.

"Yeah, the stupid womanizer isn't exactly appreciated" I winced in sympathy towards the student.

"Oh, I have a proposition for you all" added Tiedoll-sensei.

"A proposition?"

"I think it would be best for the Cross Unit to pull back from the front lines"

"Eh? What do you mean?" asked Lavi.

"You want us to pull out without fighting?" added Allen.

"Tiedoll-sensei, Kiddo and I just got back!" I protested. "We can't just back down like that!"

"I don't believe the time is yet right for fighting the Millennium Earl" retorted calmly the Marshall. "I believe survival is also a job we must carry out. As of right now, the only living Exorcists in the world are Hevlaska, back at Headquarters, Sokaro, Klaud, Marian and the ten of us present here"

Biting my lower lip, I looked down at Lenalee. She wasn't in any fighting shape, not even able to stand alone. As for Lavi, Krory, Bookman and Miranda, they were all very tired, even with the woman's Innocence active. Tiedoll, Kanda, Marie, Allen and I were the only ones in top shape, and the first three weren't going to help.

 _This man is quite wise._

 _That's Tiedoll-sensei for you._

 _You respect him a lot._

 _You sound surprise. But yes, I do. He's my favorite Marshall, to be honest._

 _He's right on his point, though. We can't continue if only Allen and you can fight._

"I don't want to expose you all to danger" he pursued. "In time of hardship, isn't a tactical retreat the best choice?"

 _For all the respect I have for the man, though…_

 _You can't back down._

 _Exactly._

"To move forward… or to withdraw?"

I tilted my head at Lavi, who harbored a grim smile.

"But, Tiedoll Marshall" he called, getting his attention. "We've actually heard those words before. But, at that time, sleeping beauty here said ' _let's keep going. We can't turn back now. If we do, all the effort of those who gave their lives will be wasted'_ She tried to live up to your words, Ary"

I felt warmth flutter in my chest and I played with Lenalee's short hair, smiling a little.

"We've decided that, no matter how badly we were beaten up, we would forge ahead" he concluded, this time with a real smile.

Unable to stop myself, I grabbed his hand, and he tightened his hold as I smiled back at him.

"That's right…" suddenly said Krory, tears running down his face.

"We wish to keep going!" added Miranda, crying too.

"U-us too!" added one of the three man, Chaozii -I think-.

"And you want this too, I presume?" asked the older man, gazing around.

"With all due respect, Tiedoll-sensei" my voice got his attention. "Backing down never was an option to begin with"

"Ary's right" nodded Allen. "We wish to keep moving forward!"

Tiedoll sighed heavily.

"Is that so? Then there's nothing more to hesitate about"

He got up, and walked to the exit of our shelter.

"The trip thus far must have been painful, but the path you must walk from here on is truly strewn with torns"

"The torns are there to protect, though" I beamed at him. "Pain is necessary for the goal we wish to achieve, but we'll keep going, no matter what. That's what making us Exorcists"

At that, Tiedoll finally allowed a smile to grace his lips.

"Yeah, I guess it is"

* * *

"Hey, Buffy" I sat next to the friend. "Feeling alright?"

He smiled a little.

"It's good to have you back, Ary" he said softly. "You and Allen. When they told us you two were dead, it had been quite a blow for everyone"

I stilled a little, confused.

"Dead?" I repeated. "Who the hell told you this utter bullshit?"

He looked at me, surprised.

"The Asian scientist… Won, I think…" he answered. "Well, he wasn't very specific, but all logic train of thoughts led to the conclusion where you two had been killed, and when we asked, he just apologized…"

"That's just like him" I shook my head, exasperated. "But, we're back now, and we're not going anywhere. Sorry to disappoint"

He chuckled a little, and I noticed a wooden box in his hands.

"What's this?" I asked, curious.

"Oh…"

He looked down at the box with some sort of sadness.

"We told you about the modified Akuma, right?"

"Yeah. It- _she_ was destroyed in the fight before we arrived, right?"

"She knew she wouldn't last much longer, so she gave me these" he opened the box, revealing four flask.

"Her blood" I realized.

"Hm"

"Well, she wanted to do all she could for us" I smiled. "She wanted you to have these, and I'm sure she's glad to be able to help despite not being here anymore"

"I forgot, about yours and Lenalee's words" he admitted, as if ashamed.

"Hey, everyone forgets something one time or another" I rolled my eyes. "But as long as you go forward to honor our friend's sacrifices, then it's okay. Just keep swimming, eh?"

This time, he laughed outright.

"Yes, I guess you're right" he nodded.

"Hey, you two!"

We turned to see Lavi coming to us, drying his hair with a blanket he found God-knows-where and something fluttered in my stomach. I wasn't exactly comfortable, but not discomforting either…

 _Aw, Ary-chan has butterflies in the stomach! How sweet!_

 _Ugh, I'd prefer a Teez._

I cleared my throat, looking away to hide the faint red I knew was tainting my cheeks. The hell was happening to me now? It really wasn't the time for the hormones to finally kick in after years of being dormant, seriously.

 _Look, there's still some drops on his face. Hot, isn't it?_

 _Shut up, Trickster! Don't you have better to do than mind-rape me?_

 _I'm hurt, Ary-chan, really._

"We're going to head out soon" remarked Lavi, sitting next to me and ignoring my internal debate. "Worried?"

"Nan" I let my head fall on his shoulder. "We can take it"

He was warm, which was comforting in some sort of way. Didn't know I missed this kind of contact so much. I always had been a touchy person and a hugging buddy, but it wasn't the same as with Allen or the others…

 _It's because it's_ him _, Hime._

 _Trickster, please… just let me be, okay? It's really not the time for this kind of crap. I'll think about it when we get back to Headquarters, okay?_

 _And what if something happens? What if you miss out on your chance because you were too stubborn and didn't act before it was too late?_

Deciding not to answer, I simply raised my eyes at Lavi, only to see him looking down at me with a strange look. When our eyes met, he coughed and looked away.

Weird.

"Lavi, didn't you have something to give to her?" suddenly remember Krory.

"Oh, right" he snapped his fingers.

He searched for said something in his pocket, before handing his hand to me. In his palm laid…

"My necklace!"

It really was my necklace. Relief washed over me. No matter how hard I lied to myself, I really was attach to this stupid trinket. Happily, I fastened it around my neck, and it laid again on my chest with the other feathered pendant. Then, I hugged him as hard as I could.

"Thanks, Bookboy"

He stilled for barely a second, before hugging me back.

"Anytime, Tenshi"

But then, as I pulled away, he roughly swatted the back of my head.

"Hey! What was that for?" I whined.

"For scaring us like that!" he scolded. "Timcanpy showed us what happened on a record, and then this scientist comes and lead us to think you both had been killed! Don't you dare play dead again, got it?"

"Geez, no need to get your panties in a twist" I grunted, smiling nowadays. "But don't hope too much, you won't get rid of me that easily"

"Damn it" muttered Kanda, barely two meters away.

"Shut the hell up, Jerkface"

"Dwarfed pigeons first"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

As Lavi hold me back from killing the asstard, a familiar voice brought my attention back inside. Exchanging a glance with Lavi, we made our way back in, and found Lenalee having a moment with Allen, who was crying.

I snorted, and the atmosphere just disappeared as they suddenly remembered that they weren't alone.

"Hey, look who's finally awake" drawled Lavi.

They snapped their eyes at us, clearly embarrassed.

"Hey, Kiddo, are these tears I see?" I grinned, poking his cheek.

"I-I wasn't!" he protested.

"Lavi cried too, back on the ship" Lenalee piped in.

"Oh?" I smirked at the boy.

"No I didn't!" he shook his head fervently.

"Now I feel offended" I sighed dramatically.

He paled at my words.

"N-no! That's not what I meant- I didn't-"

"Oh, it's ok, Bookboy, I understand" I shook my head, getting up.

Then, I hugged Miranda.

"I prefer Mira-chan anyway" I pulled my tongue at him.

"Tenshi!" he whined.

The others just laughed a little, and the woman gently patter my head, smiling softly.

"It has been a while, Ary" she said quietly.

"Right, since the Rewinding Town" I blinked, remembering the events at that time. "Funny, it seems like it happened only yesterday. I'm glad you're one of us now, by the way"

"O-oh, I'm not much h-help but…" her stuttering came back in force.

I took her hands in mines and looked at her in the eyes.

"Mira-chan, your Innocence is amazing" I assured seriously. " _You're_ amazing. Don't ever think otherwise, alright?"

She turned so red I was afraid she'd faint.

"We're going to scout the area" announced Bookman as Lavi got up too.

We all nodded, not having decided on a plan yet, and the two Bookmen left.

I went to sit by Lenalee.

"Hey, Jumper" I greeted. "Make some place"

She moved so that I could sit next to her and, once done, I passed an arm around her shoulders and held her against me without a word, knowing my silence would push her to talk rather than my words.

She soon started shaking in my arms, and I tightened my embrace.

"I'm here" I whispered. "I'm okay. Kiddo's okay. Everyone's okay"

"I thought you died back there" she sobbed, hiding her face in the crook of my neck. "And we saw the Noah ripping your wing apart, and your face contorting in pain, and…"

Drops of water landed on my skin, and I caressed her hair soothingly.

"I'm back now" I assured. "I'm back and I'm not going away anytime soon, okay?"

She nodded, but didn't let go. Knowing she would be okay, I said no more and kept the embrace.

* * *

Lavi was walking with a satisfied air, his hands behind his head. Next to him, Bookman stopped walking.

"Lavi"

Surprised by the tone, he looked down at his grandfather.

"What's up?"

"In response to Tiedoll Marshall, you yourself said you wish to keep moving towards the demons"

"Yeah. And?"

The old man's traits hardened slightly.

"Did you say that as a successor to the Bookman line, or as an Exorcist of the Black Order? You haven't forgotten your true reason for being here, have you?" he accused.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten" assured his grandson. "Ji-ji, you worry too much somet-"

"And what about Aryane?"

At that, however, Lavi's step faltered.

"What about her?"

He tried to play it off, but there was a nearly unnoticeable tenseness in his voice, something no one but a Bookman would have picked up.

"I am glad she is alive and well, Lavi, I really am" assured his grandfather. "However, as the Heir of the Clan, you mustn't strive away from the path ahead of you. All of this is merely the history we are to record. _Do not forget"_

"I've already told you I didn't" the boy rolled his eyes. "No come on, we've got to hurry back to the others"

After a second of silence, Bookman sighed, and followed is stubborn apprentice.

As for Lavi, well…

 _I can't think of that right now. I'll deal… I'll deal with it later, when everything settles down._

* * *

Everyone was busy preparing for our departure. I was still hugging Lenalee, who didn't seem ready to let me go just yet.

 _She's quite attached to you._

 _It goes both ways, though._

Kanda and Krory were talking farther away, while Miranda, Chaozii and the other two –I didn't catch their names- prepared the bags. Lavi and Bookman came back from their tour, and I knew from the slight frown on the boy's face that something was troubling him.

 _You're whi-_

 _Shut up, Trickster._

Allen was gazing around us, apparently happy to be back, and Tiedoll and Marie were talking in low tone into the opposite corner.

Something then shifted in the air, making me tense.

"Ary?" asked Lenalee, worried by my sudden stiffness.

"I-"

Suddenly, a bright purple light appeared under us.

 _Ary, move!_

But before I could even think about it, I felt myself being sucked in the weird vortex-thingy, along with my friend.

"Holy shit!"

I tried to push Lenalee out of the way as everyone reacted around us but, next thing I knew, we were completely sucked in.

* * *

There was a moment of utter darkness, before we started falling.

"Innocence!"

Activating my wings, I managed to stop our fall as my friend tightened her hold around my neck. However, before I could make a move, something crashed onto us, sending us flat on the ground. I cringed as my head hit the pavement rather harshly, and found it difficult to breath with an heavy weight on my back.

"T-that surprised me…" I heard Krory's voice somewhere above.

"Tche" definitely Kanda.

There was a weird gurgle sound that I couldn't recognized and Lavi's voice muttering something incomprehensible.

"Y-you're crushing me…" added Allen, sounding a little out of it.

"Get… off!"

With a flap of my wings, I managed to push them off and they all rolled aside.

"Ary, are you okay?" wondered Lenalee.

"Just peachy" I assured, having some hard time getting up. "It's not like I was crushed under a pile of overly grown morons or anything"

She giggled a little, and helped me up. She had been lucky, seeing as I used my own body to shield her, but I was glad she was okay.

"What is this place?" asked suddenly Kanda.

Looking around, I easily identified the place we had just popped in.

"It's the Ark" I frowned. "The device we used to join with you. The hell are we doing here?"

"I was about to ask the same thing, Akahato" Kanda glared at me.

I glared back, electricity crackling between the two of us.

"And why the hell would I know?"

"Hey, what's the weird pumpkin?"

At Lavi's question, we all turned to him and saw a really weird umbrella with a pumpkin head.

"Outta my way, you shitty Exorcists!" it exclaimed angrily.

"Gah, it talks!" Lavi took a step back.

Instantly, Allen placed his blade-like fingers at it's… well, what was supposed to be it's neck, at the same time Kanda threatened it with _Mugen_.

"If you want to keep that head of yours intact, you'll let us out right now" ordered the he-she samurai.

"Where's the exit?" Allen added with an icy tone.

"T-there's no exit…" it stuttered.

Its eyes glowed for a moment and, suddenly, a voice boomed all around us.

 _"_ _After many long years, this ship has fulfilled it's purpose and has come to a stop. Excellent work, Lero. It's time to depart, my beloved Exorcists!"_

Balloons came out of the pumpkin's mouth along with a purple mist.

 _"_ _You'll set sail with this ship on its journey to Hades!"_

The ground started shaking, and some buildings collapsed. The sky glittered as everyone tensed and the smoke took the form of the Millennium Earl.

 _"_ _Careful, Exorcists! Those parts that have finished downloading are beginning to break apart"_

"What the hell do you mean?" snapped Kanda.

 _"_ _This boat will soon be absorbed interdimensionally and cease to exist. Or, speaking in terms that minds like yours can understand, you have three hours of life left in this world"_

I gritted my teeth at that, clenching my fists.

"As if!" I snapped. "If there's an entrance, there's an exit! Where is it, you soul-rapist!?"

There was a deep chuckle that made me shudder, and Lenalee's legs collapsed. Worried, I brought my attention back on the current situation when Lavi managed to caught her and hold her up. For some reason, seeing those two so close irked me, somehow.

No idea why, though.

 _Aw, my little Hime is jealous!_

 _I am not! And it's really not the time, Trickster!_

The ground shook once again, and the mist figure got bigger.

 _"_ _Adorable little lady"_ the Earl called with a sweet tone. _"Don't you have such wonderful friends? Look at how many have come with you to die! Oh well, at least you won't be dying alone…"_

He started cackling as his smoky doppelganger elevated higher in the blue sky.

 _"_ _Don't worry, though. I'll make sure no one is sad! I'll stop the tears of those who have to live in a world without you!"_

"Yeah, more like kill them before said tears even fall" I grunted. "Just show yourself, you damn coward!"

 _"_ _None of you will get out of here alive, Aryane Darkelston, and not even you, Protector and Savior of the Innocence, will be able to change your fate!"_

And with that, the misty figure disappeared. I clenched my fists angrily.

"Bastard" I sneered.

"We've got to get moving" Allen announced. "There should be an house around here with a door that leads to the outside world. We came through it"

"And just how many do you think there are around here?" retorted Lavi, gazing at all the identical buildings.

I felt strangely satisfied when I realized he wasn't holding Lenalee anymore.

 _By Father, you're hopeless._

 _Shut. up._

"It's pointless- Lero! The Ark's already stopped moving. It's no longer connected to any other dimension- Lero! Like I said, this isn't-"

We all punched the pumpking umbrella in what was supposed to be it's face, when the ground shook yet another time.

"Look out!" exclaimed Lenalee.

The pavement cracked under our feet, and I struggled to keep my balance.

"There really isn't, though- Lero!" repeated the pumpkin. "There's no way to get out of this ship. You will all die here- Lero!"

The air shifted as a new presence appeared. I stiffened as some sort of cold and twisted feeling slithered in my guts, a slight smell of smoke in my nose.

 _Trickster-_

 _Noah. On your guard._

"There is one"

At the easily recognizable voice, I snapped my head to the source. Tyki Mikk, in all his human-poker-player glory, with the creepy glasses and the cigarette. He had a key in his hand.

"An exit, that is" he added, just behind Allen, smirking a little.

"You bastard!"

Unable to control myself anymore, I darted at him, ready to punch the daylights out of him. He easily avoided my attack but, before I could try again, Allen, Lavi and Krory stepped ahead of me, pointing fingers.

"Thick Glasses!" they all yelled, recognizing him –well, more or less.

"Is that my name?" he sweatdropped.

"W-why are _you_ here!?" asked Lavi.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" I yelled at them. "He's the fucking bastard who tried to kill Kiddo and I not a _month_ ago! Get a fucking clue!"

"Eh?"

Suddenly, he grabbed Allen, and knocked harshly both of their heads together.

"You really shouldn't be alive" he said, cold anger under his amused voice. "Thanks to you, I had to take all that junk from the Millennium Earl and the brats"

"What the hell are you talking about?" protested Allen, still not getting it.

"Kiddo, sometimes I really ought to think you're just plain stupid" a vein bulged on my forehead. "Tyki Mikk, ringing any bell for you? You know, the motherfucker of a Noah that ripped my wing apart and tried to destroy your Innocence?"

"Aw, your words are killing me, Milady" Tyki placed an hand on his heart in a dramatic gesture.

"Apparently not enough" I retorted.

He smirked at that, and the glasses suddenly passed through his head before falling on the ground. Then, his skin turned darker as cross-like stigmata's appeared on his forehead and his eyes glowed a golden yellow.

"You want a way out, don't you?" he asked, playing with the key in his hands. "I can give you one"

"And we're out of here" I snapped, taking Lenalee's hand to pull her behind me. "We can't trust a fucking word coming from his mouth"

"But I've never lied, Milady" he casually remarked. "I merely… hid, some information. However, this Ark has no exits now but with Road's powers, we can make one"

There was a flash of purple light, and a door came out of the ground.

"A-a door came out of the ground!" exclaimed Lavi.

"You don't fucking say" I snapped his way.

"That's miss Road's door- Lero!" recognized the talking umbrella.

"Road is the only Noah able to travel through dimensions without the Ark" announced Tyki. "So, how about we play a little game… with your lives at stake?"

"W-what's the meaning of this, Lord Tyki!?" protested the pumpkin. "Master Earl won't allow-"

"This key here will get you through Road's door and the three others leading up to it" pursued Tyki, not really caring. "I'll let you guys have it. Think it over, if you really want to, but there doesn't seem to be much time left"

Just as he finished, an unstable tower cracked and fall onto him, lifting a cloud of dust.

"T-the building collapsed onto him!" Krory's eyes widened.

"If only" I snorted, still angry.

Something flew our way, and Kanda caught it, revealing the key.

"You know, hunting down Exorcists is a hell of a way to pass the time" said Tyki, his voice coming from inside the collapsed building. "The door is at the highest point in the Ark. If you guys can make it there before the whole thing crumbles down, victory is yours"

"But I've heard the Noah Clan is immortal" replied Allen, narrowing his eyes. "Exactly how is this a fair game?"

Tyki had the galls to laugh, which made me grit my teeth, and his voice, just like his presence, started disappearing.

"I don't know where you heard that, but we're humans too, Boy. If it seems like we're immortals, it's only because you're all so weak"

"Come say that to my face, you curly-haired fucker!" I yelled after him, knowing he would hear me.

There was another explosion, though, and Chaozii caught me before I could hit the ground.

"It's not good" frowned Kanda. "Let's go! We need to find a safer place!"

We started running and, suddenly, there was a high-pitched scream behind us.

"Jumper!" I turned around, terrified by the sheer fear in her voice.

Allen managed to caught her before she could disappear in the abysmal void laying under our feet, though, and I sighed in relief.

 _Well, things are getting hectic._

 _No shit._

I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

 _This is going to be troublesome._

* * *

 _"_ What should we do?" asked Lavi.

We were all sitting in what seemed a safer place, catching our breath.

"We can't run around forever" he pursued. "It's just like the Earl said, this place is going to be history soon"

"You have two hours left- Lero" announced Lero.

"Shut up" I grunted.

"No matter what we do, we're doomed" Krory despaired.

"We're familiar with Road's ability to move through space" remarked Allen. "She's definitely capable of travel between dimensions"

"So Road's door from before might be some kind of trap, but… there's a chance…"

"It really could be an exit" concluded Lenalee.

I stretched a little.

"Even if I hate to admit it, Mikk isn't a liar" I sighed. "And the Noahs all have a certain point in common: boredom. As he said sooner, they're too strong to find people of their caliber to entertain themselves. Exorcists are the only ones able to provide their so-called fun and with our bunch, they're in for a ride, and they know it. They're planning on killing us and going wild in one go, and they certainly don't expect us to win this thing. However, even if I hate this situation, we don't have much of a choice in the matter. If we don't try, then we should just jump already because we aren't going to find any other potential solution in time"

There was a heavy silence as they stared at me with wide eyes.

"I forget that you can actually be kind of smart, sometimes" blinked dumbly Lavi.

The others nodded in agreement, and I banged my head on the nearest wall.

"I hate you guys"

"She's right, though" said Allen. "We don't actually have a choice. We've got to move"

 _Ten bucks this isn't going to get better._

 _I ain't even going to bet on this. We both know you'd win._

* * *

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

"Fuck!" I grunted as I lost the game.

Now _I_ was the one supposed to open the door and, with whatever could be lurking on the other side, I really wasn't feeling safe right now.

"Just open the damn door, Akahato" grunted Kanda.

Sneering at him, I then looked down at the key in my hand, than back at the door.

I had a _really_ bad feeling and the same, weird, sensation from when Tyki was here was back in my guts. The smell of smoke wasn't there, though, replaced by a sweet taste on the tip of my tongue.

 _Hime, everything's going to be okay. Just trust ourselves, alright?_

Gabriel's voice was soothing, and I finally unlocked the door, more at peace.

I wouldn't let anything happen to my friends, no matter what got in our way, no matter the dangers and the risks, no matter-

"Dafuck!?"

I jumped away from the door as it's surface covered itself in colorful designs of suns, flowers and rainbows.

"Guys, this is seriously freaking me out" I muttered.

Allen suddenly raised his hand to us, as if for a cheer.

"We're definitely getting out of here" he assured.

"Yep" Lavi placed his own hand above his.

"Of course" nodded Krory, placing his too.

"Yeah" Lenalee added hers.

"Hell yeah!" exclaimed Chaozii.

I stared at them, really not impressed, and Kanda kept away.

"Ary, Kanda" called the white haired boy.

"No way in hell" scoffed the asstard.

"I've already reach my drama quota" I rolled my eyes. "But if you really want to know, we're getting out of this place. _All_ of us. I promise"

Allen, Lenalee, Chaozii and Krory beamed at me –the second one seeming a little startled by my positive attitude-, Kanda scoffed and Lavi ruffled my hair.

"Let's just go" snapped the he-she samurai.

Snickering a little –we were utterly ridiculous, sometimes-, we finally opened the damn doors.

* * *

We were now in what seemed to be another room, but it was gigantic, and looked like a rock desert in Arizona or something like that. The sky was dark, with stars and a moon all gloomy, but they all looked as if a child draw them.

"Where are we?" asked Allen.

"Guess we're not out of the Ark, uh?" added Lavi.

Suddenly, the sick feeling got worst and the sweet taste became stronger. I snapped my eyes to the left, Kanda doing the same a second later.

"Ary? Kanda?" blinked Lenalee.

One of the rock formations exploded, and a giant, muscly Noah walked out of the dust mist, grinning from ear to ear. Everyone tense, coming to the same understanding: we'd have to fight our way through.

"All of you, get moving"

I snapped my head at Kanda so fast my spine cracked a little.

"The hell are you talking about?" I retorted.

"This guy is after our Marshall" he replied, taking out _Mugen_. "I've seen him a few times before"

"We can't leave you on your own!" protested Lenalee.

"Don't get me wrong" he narrowed his eyes our way. "I'm not doing this for you. Like I said, he's after Master Tiedoll. It's my job to kill him"

He activated his Innocence, and I shook my fists his way.

"Stop spouting such nonsense, Jerkface!" I exclaimed, annoyed.

The ground started shaking again.

"Earthquake?" frowned Allen.

"Kiddo, I swear to God, if you ask dumb questions like these one more time…"

"This room hasn't finished downloading to new Ark- Lero! Which means that once the download's finished, all of you will be too- Lero!"

"How long can we stay here?" asked Lavi, grabbing it's head. "Spit it out!"

"I don't know- Lero! The downloading started from outside the Ark, and the order in which the rooms are download is completely random, so I can't possibly know how much longer this room will last- Lero!"

Lavi let it go, annoyed by the lack of clear answer.

"Besides, no matter how much you struggle, there's only 110 minutes left- Lero!"

"Fine, we get it, we're doomed and basta! And your mother?" I snapped. "We don't fucking care! Kanda, you are _not_ staying alone and that's the end of the story! _Je te jure que si tu commences à jouer au putain d'héro, je vais te frapper tellement fort que plus jamais de stupides idées de ce genre te passeront par la tête_ _!_ "

For a second, he seemed truly startled –probably because I used his name for the first time- but he soon found his cool again.

"I'll stay!" proposed Allen. "Guys, while we're fighting, please go through the exit and continue on to the next room. Once we're done fighting here, we'll catch up to you"

"Allen… are you really that worried?" asked Krory, wary.

"Well, although Yuu's personality is less than appreciated, he is technically one of our companions" Lavi shrugged. "We- Wait! We don't have time for this! If we're in that much of a rush, wouldn't it be better for all of us to fight together?"

"And if no one is able to escape, then what?" retorted Allen. "What about Lenalee?"

"I-I can fight too!" she tried to defend herself.

"There are Noahs beyond here as well" pursued the white haired teen, unflinching. "The group that moves ahead needs firepower too, so it's best if just Kanda and I stay"

"Kiddo, I just told him he wouldn't stay alone! Like hell I'll leave the _two_ of you!" I roughly poked his chest. "We are all going through the damn exit together, got it? I can easily block this Noah's attack with _Shield_ , and we can make it to-"

"I'll be damned if I get stuck here with you" grunted Kanda.

"Kanda!" protested Allen.

Suddenly, _Mugen_ was at his throat, and we all gulped at the sudden bloodlust.

"I said I'd handle him" he said with an icy tone.

He moved his blade near Allen's head, making everyone stiffen in fright. Except me, of course. I don't have enough self-preservation to just sit and watch as the devil's himself unfolds his true colors.

"Jerkface, that's enough playing around" I snapped.

"Get out of my sight" he snapped back. "Or would you rather I slice you all in two?"

"He's threatening his own teammates- Lero!" paled the pumpkin.

"Y-you wouldn't…" stuttered Allen.

"Yuu?"

"K-Kanda?"

"First Illusion: _Hell's Insects!"_

"HOLY SHIT!"

Allen blocked those coming at Lenalee and me while Krory and Lero got bitten, Lavi jumped to avoid them and Chaozii ran like some headless chicken.

"Come on!" he yelled. "How could you do something like this!?"

The he-she samurai simply seethed back his sword.

"Kanda, you dumbass!" yelled angrily Lavi and Allen.

"You're not human!" pursued the normal one.

"You're a demon!" added Krory.

"Uh, guys… Kanda's just…" tried Lenalee.

"I don't care! Let's just leave his ass behind!"

Kanda simply turned his back to them, sighing, which only angered them more.

"And now you're going to sigh at us!?" Allen shook his fist.

"If anyone should be sighing, it's us!" Lavi joined in.

 _By Father, you guys are ridiculous._

 _Don't I know it…_

Suddenly, the Noah's anger rose high, and I swallowed back some bile, feeling strangely sick.

 _He's strong, but so is this Kanda dude. You have to leave now._

 _…_

 _Ary!_

 _Fine!_

"Guys, let's go" I finally intervened, gaining their attention.

They seemed surprised at my admit of defeat, but quickly walked away, apparently unconcerned for the asstard.

I would be too, if it wasn't for the fact that he could very well just die here. I mean, he was a fellow Exorcist, a friend even if he didn't see me as one, and it was my job to protect him too.

 _Not today, though. Let's move._

 _…_ _hai._

"Jerkface, you better come back" I shot his way. "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Don't make me look like a bitch"

"You already are, Akahato" he grunted.

"Asshole" I mumbled.

"Kanda?" asked Lenalee, still by my side. "Be sure to catch up to us, alright? Promise me!"

He didn't answer, and she huffed a little.

"KANDA!"

He tensed at her tone, and I shot her a frightened look.

Lenalee _never_ shout.

"Fine, fine, I get it" he finally answered. "Now get moving"

She smiled at his answer, then nodded and walked to the others. I gaped at him.

"You answer her but not me? I call favoritism" I stomped my foot. "But I'm serious, Jerkface. If you die, I'll drag your sorry ass back for the beating of your life, got that too?"

"Just go, Akahato" he rolled his eyes.

He had the galls to roll his eyes! However, understanding I couldn't stretch any longer, I shot him one last warning glance before running to join the rest of the group.

I didn't have the strength to look back.

* * *

"So, shouldn't there be a door too here?" asked Lavi to the umbrella.

"That's right" it nodded. "Once you turn the key into the door, it'll become an exit that connects to the next room- Lero!"

"So that door will keep the two rooms connected the whole time?" insisted the redhead.

"Correct. Rooms that have been connected will stay that way- Lero!" confirmed the pumpkin.

"Then that means that when he's finished, Jerkface won't be stuck here like an idiot" I concluded, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"The one that will follow you will be Lord Skin- Lero!" exclaimed Lero, apparently offended that'd we'd consider otherwise. "After he takes care of that guy, it won't matter who steps up. You'll all be finished- Lero!"

"If Kanda really loose –which I doubt he will, honestly- then I'll be waiting for your Lord Skin and show him what we, Exorcists, are capable of" I replied. "Now, I-"

"Master Exorcists!" suddenly called Chaozii. "There's a building ahead!"

So there was.

Time to move on to the next level, I guess.

* * *

 **So, here's the new chapter! There Ark Arc is going to last three other chapters, because it was long as hell to write, seriously. I had to divide it in four parts, can you imagine?**

 **Anyhow.**

 **French Traduction: "I swear, if you start playing the damn hero, I'll hit you so hard stupid ideas like this one won't cross your mind ever again!"**

 **Question: The Earl seems to be aware of Ary's status and peculiar situation. What could be his relation with Gabriel?**

 **Reviews, pretty please with a Tyki-cherry on top?**


	27. Prisoners Of The Ark PART 2

**Hey, Leahcar-Soutaichou! Thanks a bunch for the reviews, I'm really glad I wasn't abandonned! And also, yes, I know, the romantic tension is fun as hell to read _and_ write. **

**Answer: As said sooner, Gabriel was once an Exorcist too. So, of course he and the Earl would have met at one point. Of course, there's more to it, but I know better** **than to give away those spoilers too quickly.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Where are we?" asked Krory, looking around.

"Hell if I know" I shrugged.

"What's up with this hallway? It goes on forever…" Lavi scratched the back of his head.

"Don't think too much, Bookboy, you might hurt yourself" I patted his head.

Well, tried too. Was it me or everyone seemed taller now?

 _You're just short._

 _I hate you._

"Don't try to pat my head, you might hurt yourself" replied the redhead, smirking.

 _I hate you both._

"Where is the next door?" Krory turned to Lero.

"Searching for it is your job- Lero!" it retorted.

"Don't be such a tightwad!" protested Lavi.

The hallway started shaking on it's foundations, and I couldn't help but glance at the door we just came in with.

"Another room is collapsing" alerted Allen.

My blood turned cold as a strange sense of emptiness crept in my heart.

 _Trickster, what's happening?_

 _It's Kanda's Innocence… it's not destroyed, just… not there? I don't really get it either._

 _Is he dead?_

 _I don't know. I'm sorry, Hime._

"Let's move, we can't stay here much longer" I ordered, snapping everyone out of it.

"But Kanda-"

"He was probably beaten by Skin- Lero!" cackled the pumpkin.

"If both of them were in the room, than it doesn't matter who won and who lost" I retorted coldly. "Both shared the same fate. Now let's go"

Taking the lead, I could fear their hesitation before they fall in step with me. I could hear Allen talking to Lenalee in a low tone, probably trying to reassure her, but I couldn't find it in myself to hope too much.

"Tenshi, what's this about?" Lavi asked quietly, just to my left. "Yuu is-"

"I can't feel him" I said in the same tone. "With _Archangel_ , I can feel the Innocence, but his just disappeared. He's not dead, he's just… absent"

He nodded in understanding, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Then it's a good thing, right? That means there's still a chance to save him" he remarked.

My heart missed a beat as he smiled at me.

 _Lavi and Ary, sitting in a tree, K-_

 _Trickster, I swear I'm going to find a way to skin you, just you wait._

 _I'll be waiting then, Ary-chan._

As he laughed, I fought back the urge to roll my eyes. However, my mood turn drastic once again as my thoughts turned back to Jerkface.

 _Trickster… why do I fell so empty? It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't feel good either…_

 _You are the Protector and Savior of Innocence. Each fragment is linked to you, one way or another. However, it's a good thing that it's not hurting. That means it hasn't been destroyed._

 _I guess it_ is _a good thing…_

 _Just focus on_ now, _alright? We'll find a solution when we have the time._

 _…_ _okay. Okay, we'll do that._

* * *

 _With the Noahs_

After holding the farewell party for Skin, the tears had dried and the hurt of the loss was replaced by anger.

Jasdevi, who had joined him not so long ago, were cursing their Marshall, who seemed to be as unapproachable as ever.

"Damn that Cross!" yelled Devit. "Making us pay for his debts again and again…"

"When we find him, we're going to kill him!" added Jasdero, a chicken in his arms.

Road was checking out the debts papers that the twins had brought back with them, and saw a very familiar name on the list.

"Ne, ne, Jasdevi" she gained their attention. "Do you know who that is?"

"Uh? Oh, it's his apprentice" blinked Devit. "He left some for him too"

"Well, let me tell you something interesting" she smirked. "He's here"

"Here?" they repeated in one voice. "As in here on the Ark?"

"Yep!" she popped the 'P'.

"Your other target is there too" added Tyki, playing with the silver button once again.

"Seriously!?"

He hummed, throwing the silver ornament in the air before catching it.

"We've got specific orders for her, though"

* * *

We had been walking down the hallway for some time, now. No one was talking, and even I couldn't find it in myself to start the usual banter with Lavi, or strike any sort of socializing with the others.

It just… didn't feel right.

"Man, this hallway's so freaking long!" whined Lavi. "I wonder when we'll find the next door"

Well, not all of us. The redhead was trying to lighten the mood since I told him about Kanda, which was more or less working out.

Suddenly, the twisted feeling came back along with a weird pounding sound in my ear, which kind of reminded me of gunshots.

 _Noahs. Two of them._

 _Yeah, I kind of guessed. And we've –well, I- only met…_

 _The morons._

 _Exactly._

Looking ahead and trying to spot them –I mean, how hard could it be in a fricking hallway?- I merely saw a bunch of bottles rolling our way. Everyone stopped, and I frowned a little. The hell was going on? All the bottles came to an halt, a mere meter away from us. There were a lot, all alcohol, and all apparently empty.

"What're those?" Chaozii asked.

"Alcohol bottles?" frowned Lavi, confused.

"Why are there things like that-"

"A bomb's hiding among these bottles!"

We all stiffened as the new voice echoed on the bare walls.

 _Damn, it's really them. What're their names again?_

 _I… don't remember._

 _Hime, you're really useless with name._

 _Oi, you're no better!_

"If you don't find it and deactivate it, you'll all go 'BOOM'!" cackled the same voice.

It came from farther away from the bottles. I narrowed my eyes, but the alley was too dark for me to see anything.

"A-a bomb?" repeated Krory.

I eyed the glass containers suspiciously. We couldn't see a thing in them, and it could be anywhere!

"Gah! Find it!" Lavi started checking the bottles.

Not wanting to waste time, I grabbed a few and sent them flying at our opposite. There was the distinct noise of broken glass as they landed on the floor, beyond the darkness, and their were some precipitated steps.

"O-oi! You can't throw these at us!" protested the same Noah as before.

"Sure I can!" I retorted, kicking a few more their way.

"I-I recognize all these brands…" said Allen, just behind me. "Yes, they're definitely all brands of alcohol… I bought for my Master…"

"Cross Marshall?" asked Lenalee.

"And… they're all on the bar's tabs…" he pursued, looking a little sick.

As he sunk into a depressed state at the remembrance of his harsh childhood, I kept kicking the bottles. Rather them going 'BOOM' than us, I'd say. However, the noises soon stopped, and the bottles started rolling back at us, sign they were catching them and sending them back.

"STOP KICKING THEM!" yelled the Noah.

"STOP SENDING THEM BACK!" I retorted, getting more agitated.

"The most expensive brand of alcohol here is… Shumatsu!"

He grabbed the one I was about to throw back, and a flash of light on the surface revealed the bomb hidden inside.

"Deactivate it!" yelled Krory.

"Hurry!" added Lavi.

"How!?" panicked Lenalee.

"The timer inside's going to run out!" warned Chaozii.

"Quick! It's going to blow- Lero!" added the umbrella.

 _They're all fucking idiots._

Seeing as he wouldn't react in time, I grabbed the bottle and threw it with all the strength I could muster in what I hoped was the Noah's way. There were screeches, steps, and an explosion.

"Thank goodness" sighed Krory.

"Good throw, Tenshi" grinned Lavi, ruffling my hair.

"Of course it was" I grinned back.

"Why was my Master's favorite alcohol here?" asked Allen, troubled.

He looked sick again, which kind of worried me.

"Could he be in the Ark at this moment?" he pursued.

"He could well be, Allen" remarked Lenalee.

"Your Master would set a bomb trap for his student!?" Chaozii's eyes widened in fright.

"My Master would never do something like that!" exclaimed Allen.

I snorted.

"Is what he'd like to say" I completed with a huff. "Trust me, the stupid womanizer isn't above these sorts of things, but it wasn't him"

"What do you mean?" asked Lavi, surprised.

"He might be here" I conceded. "But that wasn't his voice, was it? And there were two of them. Noahs, most likely"

"And exactly _how_ do you know that?" he insisted, crossing his arms.

"Logical deductions, a skill you ought to learn if you want to be a Bookman" I retorted, poking his chest. "Now let's move before they come back with another crazy plan"

* * *

However, barely two minutes later, two wired gates trapped us in place, and the ceiling –covered in spikes- started descending on us.

"Now what?" I barked, a little impatient.

It was the twins again, that I could tell with the annoying sound that kept buzzing in my ear. However, they weren't exactly brilliant, from what I've gathered. We could escape easily, but it seriously slowed us down.

Cards landed on the floor around us.

"Cards?" asked Allen, puzzled.

"You have to make the hand we tell you too within three seconds" announced a new voice, probably the other twin. "If you can't, you'll all become shish kebabs!"

Their was a cackled, and my irritation grew somewhat.

"Three of a kind!" yelled the first one.

Allen instantly jumped into action and grabbed the necessary cards.

"Here!"

"Correct! Now, a Full House!"

The white haired boy executed the order perfectly once again, and my patience came to an end as they asked a 'Royal Straight Flush'. Stomping to the gate before us, I activated my wings for barely a second and sliced through it, before deactivating them again.

The two weren't aware that I was their other target. If they were, they would most than probably already have made a comment. They were stupid enough to do so. However, I wasn't about to show them my true identity just yet. Better play it safe for now.

 _Don't underestimate them._

 _I'm not. They're just morons._

The wired gate's pieces fall on the flagstones in a metallic cacophony, which gained the attention of the others.

"W-what? You can't do that, that's cheating!" protested the second Noah.

"Yeah? Well I don't fucking care!" I retorted, heading outside. "Come on, guys"

They paled a little, apparently terrified by God-knows-what, but followed nowadays while the twins protested fervently. I let them take the lead, not trusting the two Noahs to not attack us in the back.

 _Hime, they're scared of_ you.

 _Bullshit._

 _I'm kind of scared too. You can be truly terrifying when you want too._

 _That's-_

"Hey, Ary… are you… okay?" asked nervously Lavi, keeping a good meter away from me.

"Yeah. Why? I'm totally fine, sure, why wouldn't I be? I mean, we're just stuck in a stupid dimensional plane that's about to disappear, Jerkface's still nowhere to be found, we've got the Noahs out to get our heads and we have –what, less than an hour?- before all dying, but yeah, sure, I'm okay, why wouldn't I be? _Après tout, ce n'est pas comme si on risquait nos vies chaque seconde qui passe et que ces putains de gamins n'arrêtent pas de nous ralentir alors que tout pourrait sauter alors qu'on est toujours prisonniers ici_ _,_ right _!?_ "

There was a moment of silence as he stared at me with wide eyes. I had kept my rent quiet enough so that the others wouldn't hear, and I suddenly felt really stupid.

Then, the redhead chuckled and hugged me tightly.

"Stop freaking out, Tenshi" he said against my head. "You get snappy when you're nervous"

"Sorry" I sighed, burying my head in his chest. "I'm just tired of this sick game. I just… I want to go home, Lavi…"

His hold tightened a little.

"… me too" he admitted. "And we'll be back there, all of us. We'll go back together and you know what?"

"… what?"

"I'm going to get you as much hot chocolate as you want" he assured.

"… you promise?"

I could tell he was smiling.

"I promise"

I nodded, lingered a little longer, then pulled away with a sigh.

"Come on, before the others get into some other trouble" I grunted, turning around.

He chuckled once again, and I quickly turned aside to hide my burning cheeks, my own words still lingering in my mind.

 _I want to go home._

 _Hime…_

 _Please, Gab. Just don't. I'll be fine, just a passing blue._

He didn't say anything more, which I was glad for, and we managed to catch with the others just in time to see them surrounding a…

"Now it's roulette?" questioned Lavi.

"Allen, let's not bother facing them and move on" proposed Lenalee.

"Agreed" he nodded.

"Hold it right there!" called the second Noah's voice. "If you don't take the challenge, you all go 'BOOM' right here, right now! Your lives are the chips!"

"Gonna pick black?" added the one in a vicious tone. "How about red?"

"Either way, you're going to blow us up!" I retorted, calmer but still annoyed.

"Well, life itself is a gamble…"

"Here we go again" I slapped my hand to my forehead.

And there goes Allen in another of his mood swings. Deciding not to intervene this time, I simply walked next to Chaozii and Lenalee.

"Feeling alright, you two?" I asked quietly. "Chaozii, I'm sorry that you got dragged here, by the way. You're not qualified for these types of situation-"

"Otherwise said, I'm kind of a dead weight" he corrected.

I smiled apologetically, but he simply smiled back and shook his head.

"I'm not an Exorcist, I should have thought about it twice before jumping in" he shrugged. "I should be the one apologizing for dragging us down"

"You're doing nothing of the sort" I assured honestly. "I'll tell you when you do, don't worry about it. And my promise concerned you too, but the way. We're _all_ going back"

At that, though, Lenalee looked down.

"But Kanda…"

"I'm not going to say he's fine" I sighed. "But he's alive, I can assure you that with a one hundred percent certainty"

She didn't look really convinced, which kind of offended me.

"Lenalee, I never was one to sugarcoat things" I told her seriously. "You know me. If I believe Kanda was dead, I'd say it plain and simple. I don't like lying, and I ain't about to start today. Jerkface's alive and we're going to find a way to get him back, and that's that"

The doubt left place to determination, and she nodded. At the same time, there were exclamations from Krory and Lavi, clearly indicating that Allen had managed to win our lives.

 _Doesn't surprise me, though. He cheats like I never saw someone cheating._

 _You sound weirdly venerating with that, Gab. Should I be worried?_

 _Hime, I know talent when I see it. And that is_ real _talent._

 _You're hopeless, Trickster._

"Hey, you cheated _again_!" accused the second Noah.

"Do you have any proof?" retorted the white haired boy.

"Kiddo, are you really going to argue?" I rolled my eyes.

"Stop calling me that! And they can't blame me if they didn't see me" he retorted.

"Kiddo, everyone saw you"

"Your leg bumped the table!" cried the first Noah. "It bumped it! It's not fair!"

"People who don't have the galls to show themselves have no right to dictate what's fair" I snapped their way –somewhere up in the ceiling-.

There was an angry huff.

"Fine then, we'll show ourselves to you" announced the second one. "Keep going straight ahead. We'll be at the end of the hall"

"If you can get there, that is" cackled the other.

Their was a weird sound behind us, making me stiffen. Allen did the same.

"Allen? What's wrong?" asked Krory.

"I thought I heard something" he frowned.

"I did too" I nodded, kind of worried. "Let's move, and fast"

Just as I finished my sentence, the floor cracked open and the flagstones started falling.

So, we did the only thing we could do.

We ran.

* * *

In the end, we weren't fast enough, so Krory turned to his vampire-like self, grabbed us all under his arms, and set off at a speed that had my head spinning. After around four seconds, we burst out in a new room and crashed onto the floor. Wincing a little, I got up popping my shoulders.

"Tenshi, please stop doing that" cringed Lavi at the noise.

"Feeble heart" I rolled my eye.

Then, I looked around, and felt my mouth go dry.

"Oh my God…"

Books.

Books _everywhere_.

"A study?" asked Lenalee, quickly up on her feet.

"This is heaven" I whispered, practically jumping in place. "Have you seen all these books? The shelves reach the ceiling! This is amazing!"

"And this is where we're going to die if we don't move quickly" replied Lavi, grabbing my shoulders to keep me in place. "Even if I crave it myself, we seriously don't have the time, Ary"

"Tche"

"Gah! Yuu, free this body!"

"Moron" I whacked the back of his head.

The others laughed a little, and some tension that was present since the beginning eased up at our usual banter.

"Yo, Exorcists"

At the more than familiar voices by now, we turned to the center of the room, where stood a weird pedestal, were the twins, standing on top of it. Even with their Noah form, I easily recognized their hair and the strange toys guns they were waving around.

"Name's Devit" presented the black-haired one.

"Jasdero" added the blond.

"Together, we're Jasdevi!"

"I've got a weird sense of déjà-vu" I massaged my temples, feeling a headache coming.

"J-Jas…" Krory trailed off.

"Another funky guy's coming out" sweatdropped Lavi.

"I knew it was you, Lord Jasdevi- Lero!" exclaimed the umbrella. "Uh? Weren't you supposed to be after Cross Marshall- Lero!?"

"Shut the hell up!" they yelled in one voice.

But they fall back calmly the moment after.

"We've got another target here, and the Earl asked us to take care of it right now" added Devit.

"Or rather her" cackled Jasdero.

They all tensed, most probably thinking they were talking about Lenalee. I've decided to clear all the doubts immediately.

"Oi, Jasdevi!" I called. "It's been a while. What, about a month or so?"

"So you _did_ knew it was us" Devit raised an eyebrow.

"Nope" I shrugged. "I just don't trust every idiot in the street"

"Idiot yourself!" they both snarled, pointing their guns at me.

"Wow, wow, wait a sec" intervened Lavi. "You know these guys?"

" _I'm_ their targets, Bookboy" I precised. "Met them at the port before the attack. Mikk told me about them. So what now, you want to kill me too?"

"Not exactly, not now" Devit shook his head. "You see, we're incredibly vexed right now. Allen Walker! We don't have much of a grudge against you"

"But Cross has been getting on our nerve lately, and his pupil's going to pay for it!" added Jasdero.

"So he's your scapegoat?" sweatdropped Lero.

They merely raised their guns to the white haired boy, and I tensed a little. They didn't look much like toys anymore.

"Divine punishment!" they exclaimed.

"Wait, what did my Master say?" Allen tried to catch the fall.

They started shooting at him, but I relaxed instantly. They weren't real bullets, but paper balls. The others soon came to realize the same thing.

"These are invoices" announced Krory, reading one of the papers.

"It's not what he said, Kiddo, more like what he _did_ " I scoffed. "He set them up for paying his bills all while they chase after him like headless chicken"

They jumped from the pedestal, and landed on each side of him. This time, they were serious.

"A pupil's got to work off his Master's debts" remarked Devit, eyes glinting with malicious intent. "Loading: _Blue Bomb!_ "

Knowing _Crown Clown_ would protect him, I didn't move from my spot, instead getting closer to Lenalee and Chaozii. They were easy targets, and even idiots like Jasdevi would remark it.

"T-the gun's power changed!" exclaimed Lavi.

"It's not the guns. We changed the bullets" corrected Devit, smirking.

"I see" said Allen.

The twins seemed surprised to see him still standing, with his white glowing cloak floating around him and acting like his own shield.

"Those tricks earlier you were doing…" pursued the teen. "Are you the Noahs after my Master?"

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" I gripped my hair in despair. "Are you seriously fucking _asking!?"_

Seeing as none of them were listening to me, I sunk lower into my depressive state. Lenalee patted my back in pity.

"Judging by the fact that you're attacking me, and not Ary –who is apparently your _other_ target-, it is safe to assume that my Master is well enough to cause trouble… _Clown Belt!_ "

His cloak expanded, sending the twins crashed into opposites walls.

"Are you alright, Allen?" asked my only female friend present.

"Hai" he nodded, gripping his right arm. "But be careful. The bullets they're shooting aren't normal"

I narrowed my eyes at the ice forming on his arm. They could create ice?

 _There's something more._

 _I know._

"Hey, I want to know something!" called Jasdero. "If we used you as a hostage, would Cross come to us?"

"Not a chance" affirmed flatly the boy.

"Allen… your eyes say you don't trust him either" shuddered Lavi.

"No one trusts him, Bookboy" I rolled my eyes. "If we did, we'd probably all be dead by now"

"He's kind of a shady type, this Cross Marian" giggled the blond.

"He's the type of Master who'd throw his pupil as a diversion so he could escape" replied Allen in the same tone.

I snorted at that. It's because he _did_ , the fucking asshole.

"Well then, this game…" Jasdero placed his gun on his own head.

"Will be a war with Jasdevi!" concluded Devit, doing the same gesture. "We'll let you be our diversion, Mr. pupil"

 _I don't like this, Hime._

 _Me neither, Gab. Diversion for_ what _exactly?_

 _How about you ask them? They seem stupid enough to answer._

 _I thought we weren't supposed to underestimate them._

 _I thought they were just morons._

 _Touché._

"Loading: _Blue Bomb!"_ they shot at him once again.

"Try one of these, Cross's pupil!" yelled Jasdero.

As Allen evaded their attacks as best as he could, I couldn't help but remark that the gunshots were just like the one that kept echoing in my ears ever since they got here.

 _Each Noah, just like each Host, have a different aura. You can make the difference between them. Tyki and his smoke, Skin and the sweets, Jasdevi and the gunshots… it'll be difference each time._

 _Why don't I feel my friend's, then?_

 _Because you're always around them. If you concentrate, you'll be able to sense them too._

 _So when you s-_

"Loading: _Red Bomb! Red Planet of Flames!"_

"Holy crap!"

A giant fireball flew Allen's way, who stopped dead in his tracks.

 _"_ _Cross Grave!"_

The white haired boy managed to stop the attack, but another one was already coming at him.

"Ary, protect Lenalee and Chaozii" ordered Lavi.

"Got it!"

Krory and him then ran in front of Allen, ready to defend him.

"You bastards…" grunted Lavi.

"Allen isn't the only one…" pursued Krory.

"You should shot at!" they exclaimed together.

Then, using sheer strength and some Innocence, they sent back the fireball… only for it to disappear as the twins hit it with a _White Bomb_.

"Where'd it go?" the redhead's eye widened.

 _First ice, then fire, and now sheer disappearance? It's not the guns, it's the bullets. Can they make any sort of ability with them?_

At the same time, Lero started cackling evilly, clearly mocking us.

"Oi, you want to meet the wall?" I threatened it's way.

"It's mocking us!" Chaozii gritted his teeth.

But as suddenly as the umbrella started laughing, it's fit stopped, replaced by some sort of fear. Then, it flew at the twins.

"Lord Jasdevi! This is no time to fool around! You have to kill Cross, remember? If Master Earl discovers you're messing around instead of doing your job, he'll be extremely pissed!"

At that, the others stiffened.

"They want to kill Master?" realized Allen.

 _By Father, this boy…_

 _I_ really _want to hit my head against a wall_ really _hard, right now._

"Kiddo, you were Tyki Mikk's target, and he tried to kill you" I pinched the bridge of my nose. "If the stupid womanizer is their target, don't you think they're out to kill him too?"

"But you're their target too" Lavi remembered, a worried flash in his eye.

"We looked all over Edo and Cross was nowhere to be found, you worn out piece of shit!" yelled Jasdevi, threatening the damn pumpkin.

"What?"

"Okay, _that's_ new" I frowned.

"The Marshall has completely vanished?" exclaimed Krory.

 _That's not good, Hime._

 _No shit!_

"The Millennium Earl told us Cross might go after the Ark" informed Devit.

"We're only waiting for him to show up!" added Jasdero.

"Plus, we've got a special mission" they added, smirking.

They pointed their guns at Allen once more.

 _"_ Loading: _White Bomb! Transcend!"_

"Ary, what happened to Cross Marshall?" asked Lenalee, worried.

"No idea" I shook my head. "If he isn't-"

"ARY!"

Turning at Allen's voice, my breath hitched when something hit me square in the chest. Gazing down, I saw a hole forming where I was hit, a void expending on my whole body at an extremely fast pace.

"Tenshi!"

I shot a look at Lavi, confused and yes, a little scared, at the same time, before everything disappeared around me.

* * *

They pointed their guns at Allen once more.

"Loading: _White Bomb! Transcend!"_

The bullet flew towards the white haired boy, who was ready to deflect it but, at the last moment, the projectile changed direction and headed for the red haired girl, who was talking in low tone to Lenalee.

"ARY!" he tried to warn her.

She turned to look at him, but didn't escape the attack in time, and was touched in the chest. She looked down at herself as her body started disappearing.

"Tenshi!" Lavi's voice hid more or less his panic.

She glanced at him, confused, before vanishing.

"What'd you do to her!?" he yelled at the twins.

Those two were watching the old ordeal with smirks on their faces, their guns still fuming.

"We had orders for her" simply shrugged Devit.

"She's still alive!" assured Jasdero.

"Maybe not for much longer, though" they both started laughing.

The others clenched their fists. Now, they really had to move on to the last room, and fast. After all, it was the only place where she could have been sent.

 _Tenshi…_

Lavi's grip on his hammer tightened, and his knuckles turned white.

 _Please, be careful._

* * *

 **So, Ary's been separated from the group! No worries, though. They'll meet back in the next chapter.**

 **French traduction: "After all, it's not as if we risked our lives each passing second with those damn brats who keep slowing us down while everything could very well disapear with is still prisonners, right!?"**

 **Question: It's not exactly a question, but more like a fact... well, since Devit and Jasdero are, phsyically speaking at least, two Noahs, I believed them having two targets instead of one made sense. It's all. I don't have any question for this chapter. Do you?**

 **Reviews please!**


	28. Prisoners Of The Ark PART 3

**Thanks again for the review and, since I've got nothing better to do, here's a new chapter.**

 **Answer: Apparently, no question from you either.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A bright light blinded me as I started falling, and I effectuated a rather harsh landing on the cold floor, on my back. A smell of smoke and a hazy, creepy, tune in my head made themselves known.

"Damn it…"

"Well, look who's finally here. In time for dinner, Milady?"

 _Shit._

 _Please, God, Gab, Budha, Mother Nature, Kami, anyone but him._

I opened my eyes with difficulty, and found none other than Tyki Mikk looming over me with a pleasant smile.

"Let me guess: these were the twin's orders" I grunted.

Sitting up, I rubbed the sore back of my head. I felt like falling was the new _must_ here.

 _They used Allen as a diversion, just like they said, but it was to divert_ our _attention so that they could send us here without any trouble._

 _Fucking damn it, I thought we weren't supposed to underestimate them, Trickster!?_

 _Hey, don't blame me, Hime._

 _I'm not-_

"Oi, still alive?"

"Out of my bubble!" I kicked my foot his way, but he easily blocked it.

There was a chuckle, and I raised my head to see Road on my other side.

"Just fucking great" I sighed heavily. "Hey kid, long time no see"

"You're still as funny was ever, Onee-chan!" she grinned. "Still not crying, uh?"

"You and your family really have a complex with tears, don't you?" I spat, getting up.

I dusted myself. In surface, I was annoyed and bored. Internally? I was fucking _terrified_.

"What do you want with me?" I crossed my arms.

 _Hime, stay calm. We're together, okay?_

 _…_ _yeah, yeah. Okay. I'm calm. I'm c- HOW CAN I BE FUCKING CALM WITH TWO MURDERERS SMILING LIKE I'M ABOUT TO BECOME THEIR NEXT FUCKING VICTIM!?_

There was a stung that made my head spin, and I grabbed it in my hands with a wince,

 _Breath!_

"Let me guess, you're talking to your little Angel, ne?"

At that, I froze, but soon put on my poker face.

"I don't know what you're talking about" I shrugged.

"Of course you don't" Mikk rolled his eyes. "How about some dinner while we wait for your friends?"

I eyed the set up table suspiciously, and slowly backed away.

"Nan, sorry, not exactly hungry right n- fuck!"

A sharp pain made me stumble as I felt my skull _splitting._

 _Trickster!_

 _The girl's trying to get in!_

 _Don't let her!_

 _I'm not, let me fucking concentrate!_

The pain lingered for two more seconds, before finally stopping. I let out a shaky sigh, using the table to stay on my two feet.

"She's not letting me in" huffed Road, apparently annoyed. "My powers won't affect her"

"And we can't kill her either" Tyki scratched his head, apparently puzzled. "Oh well. The only thing we can do is wait for the rest to arrive"

I stiffened a little, and they laughed.

 _They fucking laughed._

"Relax, Milady" grinned Mikk, taking a seat. "As I said, we're not allowed to kill you. Want something to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"How about some 'no thanks, I'm out of here'?"

With that, I darted towards the balcony, ready for the jump, but was sent crashing against one of the pillars. Pain flared in my open palms and my tights as I felt my blood boil.

 _I really hate these candles. They make more damage then you could imagine._

 _Can you heal it?_

 _Not with the damn things still inside, that's for sure._

"Now, now, that wasn't nice, Onee-chan" smirked Road, standing before me. "Want to tell me more about this dear Angel in your head? Gabriel, was it?"

 _How the hell does she know that, Gab?_

 _How the hell should_ I _know that, Hime?_

"You seem less confident in yourself, Onee-chan" she remarked. "Worried? You should be. Millie is _very_ interested in certain of your… abilities"

 _Damn it, he must have recognized my aura when we fought._

 _You mean to say that he still knows your aura despite the thousands of years that happened since you last met him!?_

 _I kind of kicked him in the face. Of course he'd remember me._

 _Trickster… I don't know whether to be amazed or horrified._

Her grin turned sick.

"How about you tell us where the Heart is, hm? That'd end things really quickly" pursued the damn girl.

"How about you shut your damn mouth and eat a snicker? You're meaner when you're hungry"

For only answer, she sent two more candles to pierce my forearms. I flinched the burning sensation.

"Where is the Heart?" she repeated, raising her hand to send two more.

"Go… fuck… yourself" I spat.

Another embedded itself in shoulder.

 _Sure, go and make the psychopathic Noah angry._

 _Shut up, Gab._

"Where is the Heart?" she asked once again, gleeful at the sight of my blood.

"Fuck! I don't know, okay? If I did, then I sure as hell wouldn't be here!" I snapped.

She eyed me a moment, and I hold her gaze with all the bravado I could muster. Then, she sighed.

"She doesn't know" she told Tyki, who was watching from his seat.

"The Earl did say it was a possibility" he simply shrugged. "How about you stop your little game for now? Because, as much as it is, we don't want her dying on us right now. The Earl would be pissed"

"That he would be" she agreed.

And we waited.

* * *

"Oh!"

The sick feeling their presence inspired me died down somewhat as some warmth replaced it. From the corner of my eye, I saw my friends coming in.

 _They're here, but one is missing._

 _Who!?_

 _I-_

"ALLEN!"

Road, loosing her interest in my utter pain, ran to them and latched onto Allen's neck, making me sweatdrop a little. No matter what happened, there's seemed to be weird things going on between us and the Noahs, sometimes.

"R-Road!?"

She laughed, and k- WHAT THE FUCK!?

 _…_ _Is she kissing him?_

 _I think she is._

 _Glad it isn't Lavi, eh?_

 _For fuck's sakes, Trickster, so not the time!_

"Lady Road!" exclaimed Lero, pushing her away. "You can't kiss an Exorcist!"

"Ah, Lero?" she recognized the umbrella.

"Allen, hang in there buddy!" cried dramatically Lavi.

"Road, what are you doing?" Tyki raised an eyebrow. "Do you like the Boy that much?"

"Allen Walker… he's alive…" chanted Cell Roron. "He's alive… oh, he's alive…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it" the Noah rolled his eyes.

"Ary!" exclaimed Lenalee, horrified, and the first one to see me.

I felt myself being lifted from the pillar I was pinned against, and was sent flying towards my friends. Lavi caught me as the candles fall on the floor.

 _At last! Don't move, I'm taking care of it._

 _I don't think I can anyway._

"Tenshi! Are you okay?" asked the redhead, apparently worried.

"Sure, fine, I just love being used as a dart board" I coughed a little. "And what the hell, Kiddo? Honestly guys, I'm ashamed to be your friend, sometimes"

"Well, now that you're all happy and reunited, how about we eat a bit?" proposed pleasantly Tyki. "I'm famished, and Milady refused to eat with us until you got here. Plus, I'd like to speak with you before our fight"

"I'll have to refuse" Allen answered flatly. "I take my time when I eat my meals"

"Am I the only one questioning this situation?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Your time? Wouldn't you like to know how much you have left?" pursued Tyki, unperturbed by my interruption.

"Look outside" proposed Road, sitting on Lero. "It's splendid"

 _You're good, Hime._

 _Thanks._

I got back on my feet, still feeling a little sore but able to move nowadays. Lavi shot me a worried look, but I shook my head in a negative gesture. Now was not the time to ask questions.

 _Krory's the one missing._

 _You think he's okay?_

 _His Innocence disappeared just like Kanda's. Sorry, Hime._

 _Should we be glad?_

 _…_ _I don't know._

We went to the balcony, and I felt a little sick at the sight. The tower we were in was the only thing left of the city, and a dark void expanded all around us, stopping any potential retreat.

We'd win here, or die here. There were no other options anymore.

"As you can see, the only remaining building is this tower" announced Tyki. "Meaning the other rooms are no more"

The others sported horrified looks, probably convinced that Kanda and Krory were dead. I simply gritted my teeth. Things were getting worse by the second.

There was a slamming noise behind us and a rattle of chains, and we turned in time to see Road barricading the door with which my friends came in, blocking our last chance of escaping.

"Won't you sit down?" she smiled sweetly.

"Take a seat, Exorcists. We won't ask another time" warned Tyki.

We ended up sitting anyway, Allen to the opposite of Tyki, Lenalee to his right, myself to his left, Lavi next to me and Chaozii in front of him. Road was sitting just next to her peer, and I sighed as an heavy silence filled the air.

 _That's kind of awkward._

 _You don't fucking say._

Needless to say, this "peace" didn't last very long. There was some very pointless chatter between Mikk and Allen, Road who wouldn't leave the boy's side –still creeping me out-, Lavi going all Bookman on the situation and Lenalee internally panicking, while I watched the whole ordeal with some real wonder as to _how_ exactly we managed to get things done every day.

I mean, we were currently having dinner with two deadly Noahs out to kill us while the Ark in which we were trapped was disappearing.

 _I seriously wonder about the sanity of the lot of you, sometimes._

 _I don't think we had much to begin with, Trickster._

In the end, Tyki had tried to send a Teez to Lenalee, but Allen killed it before going at the Noah's throat, therefore starting the hostilities. As he engaged, I tried to move, but a dark chuckle from Road stopped me in my tracks.

"Tyki likes Allen quite a bit too" she assured. "Don't interfere, Savior, Bookman"

I exchanged a glance with Lavi, and, suddenly, Lenalee and Chaozii were trapped in some sort of glass box.

"Jumper! Chaozii!"

Something cold pressed against the skin of my neck, and I gulped a little at the sensation of the pointy candle threatening my life.

"Don't move" she warned, before turning her attention to Lavi. "I want to play with you, Bookman!"

"That sounded so wr- shit, okay, I shut up!" I cringed when I felt some blood run down my neck.

Lavi gritted his teeth, before taking out his hammer.

"The eldest of the Noahs, Road Kamelot" Lavi declared blankly. "If you cut a deal with me, I'll play with you"

"All right, that's fine by me!" she grinned.

"Bookboy, don't you fucking dare" I snarled his way.

But he wasn't paying attention anymore, his eye wide as he stared at Road in some sort of wonder and fright at the same time.

He sank to his knees, letting go of his hammer.

"Damn it" I grunted, still not allowed to move. "Bookboy, get the hell up!"

"It's no use, Onee-san" Road's smile was making me sick. "He's in my territory now"

 _She caught him in one of her illusions, or rather a dream. He won't be able to get out._

 _How does it work?_

 _Well, it's kind of like your own Illusions, but it's still different. Road can actually interact with her victims and she's the manipulating their mind. If Lavi isn't able to destroy her in the dream, he'll be trap and, later on, his mind will be destroyed._

 _…_ _can we do something?_

 _W-what!? Hime, I won't let you-_

 _I can't let him like that! If I go there, there's a good chance we'll get out together! I won't let him trap alone!_

 _If we do this, you'll be at the mercy of Road and very well might be trapped too!_

 _I don't care. Protect any information stored in my unconscious, but lift the veil protecting my mind._

 _…_ _are you certain about this?_

 _Hai._

There was a defeated sigh, and I felt some sort of pressure that I didn't even know was there disappear. Instantly, I kicked away the candle and faced Road.

"I'll play too, if you send me with him" I announced seriously.

"Ary!" protested Lenalee, hitting the box.

"Oh?" she smirked, apparently interested. "Little Gaby's letting you do it?"

"He won't stop me" I retorted.

"Very well"

Black threads suddenly spread in her back, and the world darkened all around.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in the tower anymore.

 _Trickster?_

There was no answer, though, and I suddenly felt very alone.

"Road!" I finally called, my voice echoing in the emptiness. "Where's Lavi? The deal was for you to send me with him!"

"Maybe" she agreed, her voice coming from everywhere. "He's here, don't worry! You'll have to find him first, though"

She cackled, and I clenched my fists. I should have known she'd play dirty. Probably trying to by some time in hope to pierce my skull and take all the information she wants.

Ah, fat chance. I might not be able to contact Gabriel, but I knew he'd be able to stop her from getting what she wanted, no sweat.

I tried to activate my Innocence, but soon had to come to an understanding: here, I was in Road's territory. I couldn't do as I pleased, and that meant using my wings was out of the question, apparently.

So, I started walking.

* * *

"Bookboy? Bookboy!"

Only silence answered my pleas, and I was feeling worse and worse.

Alone.

What an horrible situation.

I'd always had someone with me, was I conscious of it or not. If it wasn't my family at first, then one of my friends or all of them for that matter, it was Gabriel. I never was alone, and the sheer sensation that it gave me scared me much more than I'd like to admit.

Alone.

I never though it could be so painful. Not having anyone, facing the unknown while being powerless, defenseless.

There was a scream, very familiar, that made my head snap so fast something cracked. There, barely two meters away, Lenalee was clinging for dear life to a platform, void awaiting her just under her feet.

"Jumper!"

"Ary!" she cried. "Help me, I- I won't last much longer!"

"I'm coming, hang on!"

Jumping from platform to platform, I reached her barely a second later.

A second too late.

She let go, slipping into the darkness.

"LENALEE!"

"ARYYYY!"

She extended her hand to me, hope and fear in her eyes, but I couldn't grab her on time, and she fall.

Her scream echoed in my ears as I stared at my hand, clenched on nothingness.

I failed her.

 _I killed Lenalee._

I wanted to throw up. How could I do that? How could I fail her like that? She counted on me, trusted me to save her! I was the Protector and Savior, was I not? So why the hell couldn't I save her!?

Something throbbed in the back of my mind, almost painful, and I suddenly remembered something very important.

 _It's a dream._

"Fuck!"

I quickly got away from the platform, and shook my head a few times. It was all an illusion. It wasn't Lenalee. She was still alive, still safe, and I had to find Lavi to save him too.

I kept on walking and, soon, the cries and plead of all my friends, of all my family, started following me as I made my way in what I hoped was Lavi's direction.

I ignored them, knowing that if I let myself be overpowered by the false images, I wouldn't be able to get out.

In the end, I ran, never straying from my path, never looking back.

And hoping it would end soon.

* * *

"LAVI!"

I finally found him, collapsed in the water, in what seemed like a copy of the subsoil of the Headquarters. Allen's body was floating not far from him. There was another him, standing aside, and glowing strangely. The one still up looked my way, but said nothing. I stopped dead in my tracks.

What if he was another illusion?

Suddenly, Gab's worry made sense. It wasn't just the illusions trying to break me at each passing second, it was the lack of trust I could allow myself in this world that was dangerous.

Was he the real one?

Was he merely another mirage?

The one lying down started moving, making me stiffen.

"You bastard…" he muttered, trying to get up. "You think you can do… whatever you want, asshole… ah, this sucks…"

Okay, that's the real one.

"Bookboy!" I called, running at him.

His head snapped my way but, instead of relief or annoyance, I merely saw anger.

My step faltered at his gaze.

"B-Bookboy?"

"Another of… your stupid trap, Road!?" he yelled angrily, getting up.

I paled at the sight of the dagger embedded in his torso.

"I'm not an illusion!" I protested nowadays. "Listen, I know it's difficult to believe, but-"

"DIE!"

"FUCK!"

I grabbed a floating piece of wood and managed to block the blade in time, his eye blazing in fury.

"I won't… let go… now!" he snarled. "I won't… betray my friends!"

"That's nice and all, Bookboy, but killing me won't exactly save my life" I retorted, struggling to keep my balance.

Because damn, I didn't know he had this much strength. Made mine look like a mosquito's.

"Damn it!"

His blade nicked my arm, drawing some blood, but I managed to get away and put some distance between us.

"Lavi, it's me, for fuck's sakes!" I tried again. "What's the problem with your thick skull? I know Road's playing tricks on you, but I struck a deal with- Damn, let me finish! Where're you manners!? God, that's why Ji-ji's my favorite between the two of you…"

At that, however, his movements stilled, and something dawned on his blood stricken face.

"… what?"

"Still falling for it, Lavi?" taunted Road's voice. "Truly pathetic… Come on! Kill her like you killed all the others! Why do you think I haven't use her yet? I kept the best for the end…"

"Shit!"

I blocked another attack with my stupid piece of wood, which finally break under the pressure. The blade embedded itself in my shoulder, and I let out a sharp gasp as pain flared.

I grabbed the hilt to stop it from getting deeper, and Lavi kept putting more strength into it, the colors draining more and more from his face as he got weaker.

"Bookboy… stop it!" I grunted, struggling. "It's me! Ary! I'm not one of her stupid illusions! It's really, really me! I made a deal with her so that she'd send me to your help, but she played me and I was sent to the other side of this stupid world! I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner but please, I'm not the fucking enemy here!"

"Stop… acting like her!" he yelled, pushing harder on the dagger. "Stop tainting… her image… with your damn lies!"

"YOU PROMISED ME HOT CHOCOLATE!"

There was a moment of heavy silence as he froze in his attempts to kill me. I took in a sharp breath as the dagger pulled out somewhat. Black spots started dancing in my eyes.

"You promised" I repeated, trying to stay conscious. "You told me you'd get me all the hot chocolate I'd want when we got back to Headquarters. You promised"

"A-Ary…" he mumbled, still not believing it.

"You really are falling for it!" cackled the Levi/Road illusion.

But I could sense some sort of fear and annoyance in her voice. Horror struck his features but, before he could react to her words, I pulled out the dagger from my shoulder and, not exactly thinking, I...

Well, I kind of stabbed myself?

God, am I glad Gabriel isn't here, all of sudden.

The cackling stopped as Lavi backed away, wide eye.

"… Ary?"

"Yeah" I coughed some blood, pulling out the dagger. "Shit, that hurts like a bitch… and Komui's going to give me a earful again…"

Ignoring the burning sensation in my abdomen, I shot a dark look at around.

"I found him" I spat her way. "No thanks to you, that's for sure"

"Lavi, she's really well created, right?" Road tried to wriggled her way out.

Something flashed in his eye, and I smirked at her mistake, before spitting out some more of my blood.

I exchanged a look with him, and he nodded in understanding.

Okay, because now that I stabbed myself, he trusted me?

Rude.

He grabbed the dagger, then pulled me up by the air, keeping appearances.

"If I kill her, do I win our little game?" he asked, swaying on his feet.

At his words, I could _hear_ Road's giddiness.

"Depends if you really do it" challenged the Noah in disguise.

He glanced down at me, and I struggled a bit for good measure. He raised the dagger high…

Then, I grabbed Allen's body and used it as a shield. Stabbing right through where was supposed to be his heart, there was a sharp gasp.

"You found… my true form…" her voice echoed around.

"It's because you're… so infatuated with him…" smirked the redhead.

"You won't… survive as a… Bookman…" her voice seemed farther away, her presence slowly disappearing.

"Who was the one… who cornered me… into this?" he retorted with a smile. "Right now… right now… this is the best choice… I can make…"

He sunk to his knees, and I dragged myself to him.

"Hey, Bookboy" I let my head fall on his lap, feeling really tired.

"Hey, Tenshi" he replied. "So… it's really you?"

"Please" I scoffed, splattering my vest with more blood. "No illusion would be as gorgeous as I"

He chuckled and coughed at the same time, and I smiled a little as my body started buzzing, a sign we were returning to reality. However, I seemed to disappeared before him, and I understood he had some business left to take care of here. So, I let go first.

"I'll… see you… when you wake up…" I managed to say.

Then, I closed my eyes.

* * *

When I opened them, I was back in the tower.

Well, I think I was.

Still tired, I didn't had the strength to get up, so I just looked around with some sort of wonder. Where did the frozen snakes came from?

And where were the others too?

 _Ary!_

 _Trickster!_

 _Are you okay? What happened?_

 _Can you see my memories or something? I really don't feel like explaining right now._

 _Alright. Don't push yourself too much, you're exhausted._

 _Got it._

However, I couldn't just stay there either. For all I knew, Road and Tyki were still there. So, I sat up and stretched a little. After a few more seconds of settling back into the real world, I managed to make out the voices of my friends.

"Ary!"

Oh, they're searching for me.

"I'm here!" I yelled back with all the voice I could muster.

There were exclamations –relief, joy, and cetera, and cetera- and, not three seconds later, Lenalee was by my side.

"Ary!"

She latched onto my neck, and I hugged back with a sharp laugh.

"Jumper" I grinned. "Let go, you're choking me…"

She obeyed, and I realized that she was crying.

"Guys!" she yelled at the opposite way. "I found her!"

There were precipitated steps coming our way, and she helped me up. Allen, Chaozii and Lavi all arrived in place, and I was relieved to see him alright.

"Yo" I greeted.

"Are you okay? I though you were supposed to be there when I woke up, but I just found Allen" remarked Lavi with a small smile.

"Don't sound so disappointed" grunted the white haired boy.

"I'm fine, it's just Road's stupid mind tricks that took a larger toll than expected" I assured. "It's okay, now. Is everyone okay? Where are the Noahs?"

They exchanged looks at that, somehow confused.

"We… don't really know" Allen admitted. "I stripped Tyki from his Noah, and Road kind of exploded…"

"That's… just weird. And how the hell did you do that?"

 _He became a Point Breaker. That was the throbbing that snapped you out of Road's hold the first time. And Ary, we're going to have a talk once we get out of here._

 _…_ _right._

"I don't really know" the boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "My Innocence changed again… I think we're more in synch, now"

"Well, that's good and all, but we have to find the door now" I remarked. "They said it was upstairs, right? And you said Road exploded too... Seeing as she's the one keeping the door, doesn't that mean the door disappeared too?"

We all froze at my conclusion.

 _You're all morons._

 _Shut up, Gab._

"I'm going back to see if Krory and Kanda were hold up somewhere" announced Allen as Lavi checked if the door was still there.

"They're not" I shook my head.

The other three looked at me with wide eyes.

"Ary-"

"They're still alive, but they're not _here_ " I precised. "With _Archangel,_ I'm able to sense the Innocence around me. Kanda and Krory's disappeared, but they weren't destroyed, which mean they're alive, but not here. Going back would be pointless"

"But-"

"Guys! The door's still there!" called Lavi from up there. "Lenalee and Chaozii can't get up, though. Allen, Ary, can you grab them and make sure they don't fall?"

"Sure!" I yelled back. "Jumper, come on. You're hitching a ride on Air Ary"

She was still frowning at my revelation, but seemed relieved nowadays to know they were alive. Maybe not okay, but alive. Then, I picked her up, and activated my Innocence, before flying upstairs.

We reached the upper floor, and Lavi went to me.

"We're going to talk once everything is over" he muttered.

"I know"

Allen and Chaozii then joined us on Lavi's hammer.

"Come on, we don't know when the door will disappear" pressed Lavi.

But Allen simply turned away and went back to the hole by which we came up.

"Allen?"

"I'm going back to get Tyki and Lero" he announced, activating _Crown Clown_.

"Wait, are you serious?" the redhead tried to stop him.

"Now that he has lost his Noah, Tyki Mikk is no more than an ordinary man" replied the white haired boy. "You and Ary saw it, didn't you? When we first met him, back on the train, he had human friends"

I smiled, understanding where he was going with this, and I placed my hand on Lavi's arm –I didn't reach his shoulder without extending my own arm, now. Fuck my life.

"Those people are most probably waiting for Mikk to return, without knowing anything of his true identity" I pointed out. "And even though he's not exactly my favorite person, we are not monsters like them. We can't let him to die, just like that"

"But… if the Order discovers that he saved a Noah…"

"They can't afford loosing any of us right now" I remembered. "They might give a slap on the wrist, or some paperwork, but they really can't do much more, seeing as they need us. Plus, I'll take my share of responsibilities too if it comes to it"

"Ary-"

"Save… him?"

Surprised at the intervention, I turned to look at Chaozii.

"Did you not kill him?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"He's still alive" confirmed Allen.

"Why?" his tone became more frantic. "Him and his kind are the ones who partnered with Akumas and killed Lady Anita, Mahoja, and all of my friends… he's the one who tried to kill you, and who almost destroyed Lady Aryane's Innocence… so why would you… save him?"

"Chaozii-"

"Are you betraying us?" he asked, a little out of it. "If you save them, then you're our enemy too!"

"Chaozii!" protested Lenalee.

"Traitor!" he insisted, now yelling. "A demon, just like the rest of them!"

"That's enough!" I snapped his way. "Allen is saving him because that's the right thing to do, and because we're the good guys and that's our damn job to save as many people as possible! I understand your loss but if you want to walk down the path of hatred and vengeance, then don't bring others into it too!"

He took a step back at my words, and his fists clenched as his traits hardened.

"Defending him? Then you're no better!" he spat. "A monster backing up another monster!"

"He's no demon, no traitor and no monster! I don't fucking care about you say about me, but don't you dare spat such nonsense around!" I shot back, angry. "He's our friend, a fellow Exorcist, and you will treat him as such or I swear to God, you won't last much longer with us to spout these shenanigans, got it!?"

"Ary, stop it!" Lavi intervened, grabbing my shoulders.

"But he's-"

I froze, my guts turning to ice as a sick feeling twisted them in knots. It was just like when we faced the Noahs, but much, much, stronger, and I could make out the lingering smell of cigarette in the midst of the pandemonium swirling inside of me.

"Chaozii, get down!" I yelled.

Getting rid of Lavi's grasp, I ran to the man and pushed him as hard as I could. Next thing I knew, I was trapped into some sorts of vines, my vision obscured by the moving plants and choking for some air.

"Ary!"

"Don't… come too close!" I warned, trying to breath.

The vines tighten, and I felt my bones crack under the pressure.

There was a distinct 'POP'.

"Gah!"

 _I think that was your shoulder._

 _NO SHIT!_

The familiar sensation of falling washed over my body as I was brought back downstairs, and the presence became stronger. I heard my friends scream, but I couldn't free myself and, a moment later, I harshly crashed on the floor.

"Ow…" my shoulder hurt.

 _I can't take care of it like that, you have to put it back in place first!_

 _How am I supposed to do that?_

 _Oi, do I look like a fucking doctor?_

 _No, more like a fucking idiot hitching a ride in my head._

Using my left arm only, I lifted myself from the ground, and bile rose in my throat as I made out the form of the door on the ground before me.

In pieces.

"Shit…"

"Ary, are you okay?" Allen landed next to me with _Crown Clown._

"I thought you said you stripped Mikk from his Noah" I remarked, gasping for air. "My shoulder's dislocated, by the way"

"But I did!" he protested. "I-"

He didn't finish his sentence, looking ahead of us with a horrified gaze. Following his eyes, I wanted to scream.

 _You really have the worst of luck, don't you?_

 _Remember why I didn't bet with you sooner?_

"What's the meaning of this?" panicked Allen.

Tyki Mikk, because it really was him, started walking our way. There were cross marks on his arms and torso, which I recognized as Allen's, but the one on his throat and his eyes were glowing a weird blue/green light.

"Can you still fight?" I asked, getting up.

For only answer, he pulled out a sword from his fricking left arm. Or did his left arm merely turned to a sword?

 _Not the time._

 _Sorry._

"That's kind of cool" I admitted, activating _Archangel_. "But I think I'll stick with my halo"

"Get back" he ordered. "With your shoulder in this state, you won't be able to fight"

"You just want me to get out of your way, don't you?" I retorted, taking one of my feathered blades in hand. "But no chance. I haven't fought once since we got here. I ain't about to leave you all the gloating rights"

"You don't-"

Tyki started screaming as the evil vines wrapped themselves around him, and I gritted my teeth as the sick presence of the Noah became stronger.

"Get ready, Kiddo" I warned, falling into a fighting stance. "This is about to get ugly"

Just as I finished, there was a violent gust of wind that almost sent me flying. Using my wings to protect myself from the debris, the screams stopped. Lowering my defense, I fought back the urge to sigh as Tyki Mikk stood before us, in all his Dark-Knight-Cosplayer-Glory.

 _Of fucking course. Hime, you better hope for a miracle._

 _I feel your confidence. And shouldn't I pray?_

 _At this point, hope is the only thing that'll keep you alive._

 _So reassuring. I won't go down without a fight, though._

 _You'd told me otherwise and I would suspect that Road is still somewhere in your head._

 _Let's do this._

* * *

 **Next chapter is the last one in the Ark Arc. Also, some would think that Ary's little kidnapping was pointless, but it served a few purposes: first, they needed to make sure Gabriel was there. Second, they had to see if Road could get in. And third, they couldn't afford Ary staying stuck in one of the rooms. So, they brought her to them. That's all.**

 **Question: Who's the Noah you like the less?**

 **Reviews!**


	29. Prisoners Of The Ark PART 4

**So, to be honest, this is one of my favorite chapters. It's also the last of the Ark Arc.**

 **Answer: My own would be Lulubell. I don't know why, I'm just not that big of a fan.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Needless to say, we were kind of in a really bad situation right now.

Lavi flew past me, but I managed to grab him before he could hit a pillar.

He blinked at me with some sort of surprise.

"Eh. You look cute with a halo" he pointed out with a smile.

"Bookboy, not the time" I whacked his head.

 _Hime, you're blushing._

 _Am not!_

I gazed at the ongoing fight with a frown. No matter what we did, we were clearly outmatched by Tyki's new form.

"Any idea, Bookman Jr?" I asked, sincerely hoping he'd say 'yes'.

"And you, secret genius?" he retorted.

I grunted at his clear lack of positive answer, and Allen flew above our head, catching his fall with _Crown Clown_.

"Here we go again!" I yelled, running back into the fight. "Spin Rocket!"

I managed to break through four of the shields, before being sent back once more. I landed on my right arm, which earned a sharp gasp as pain flared. I dislocated it when I was forcefully brought down, and kind of forgot about it.

 _More like you ignored the pain. This is going to be a drag to heal, you know?_

 _I'll let you whine all you want when we get out of here._

 _…_ _you still haven't given, eh?_

 _I swore I'd never give up again, not until my last breath. I won't go back on my words now._

 _Good. I'd be ashamed to be your Angel otherwise._

"Why are you still fighting?" pleaded Chaozii, not far from my position.

Lavi, who was about to attack again, smiled to him.

"Because I'm an Exorcist" he retorted.

Then, he ran at Dark Mikk, hammer ready to strike. However, he was caught in the vines, which started choking him. Gritting my teeth, I steeled my wings and sliced trough them, freeing my friend. However, two others wrapped themselves around my wings, sending me crash on the ground as they trapped me tighter and tighter.

There was an explosion, and I gazed in fright as the ceiling suddenly broke down onto us.

And of course, that's where I blacked out.

 _Fainted._

 _I don't fucking faint._

* * *

 _WAKE THE FUCK UP!_

"I'M AWAKE!"

I sat up in one harsh movement, a humming in the back of my head and warmth in my chest.

 _This feeling… Innocence?_

 _You'd be correct. The fragment found a new Host, or rather reacted to him. It can't reach him, though. Must be because it's outside the Ark._

 _But the only one here who could become an Host… Chaozii!?_

I managed to get back on my feet, just in time to see Dark Mikk running towards Chaozii, who was supporting what seemed to be a very heavy fragment of the ceiling. Baring my teeth, I charged in and spread my wings.

 _"_ _Shield!"_

His attack bounced on my Innocence and shot back at him, sending him fly a few meters away. Letting out a relieved breath, I turned to the other two.

"Are you alright?" I asked. "Chaozii, whatever you're doing, keep doing it! I'm getting you two out of there"

"H-hai!" he exclaimed.

But he already seemed to reach his limit. Gritting my teeth, I plunged under the rocky weight and grabbed Lenalee, before dragging her out of there. Then, I went back to Chaozii, who was struggling more and more.

"At my signal, you let go of everything, okay?" I asked, placing my hands on his shoulders.

"But… the weight…" he gasped.

"Trust me! Even if you don't want to, just trust me this once!" I pleaded.

He gritted his teeth, and nodded his consent. I breathed once.

 _Ready when you are, Hime._

 _Then let's do this._

"Now!"

He let go, and I instantly raised _Shield_ once again. That was going to hurt, but if I concentrated my Innocence on my steeled wings, they would make it through. Grabbing the man's shoulders harder, I pushed against the weight as it crashed down onto us. I could distinctly hear Lenalee's horrified scream, but kept pushing through.

 _Now, Ary!_

"Spin Rocket!"

There was some resistance, before the rock broke and debris flew around as we finally got out. Then, I landed more or less gently, breathing harshly.

"You… did it…" gasped Chaozii, shaken up.

"Of course… I did…" I replied. "I don't… leave my comrades… to die…"

He seemed stricken by shock and some sort of joy at the same time, but now really wasn't the time for a heart to heart.

"Ary, watch out!"

I wasn't fast enough to avoid the vines, though, and I found myself hanging in the air, head downside as they tightened painfully around my ankles.

"Shit!"

Trying to cut through them with my feathered blades, I soon found myself dangling around, unable to move and, the next second, Dark Mikk was in front of me, his face barely centimeters away from mine.

"Err… hello" I laughed nervously. "… nice day, uh?"

It chuckled darkly, and was about to sink it's claws in my head when I started falling, only to be caught a moment later.

"Bookboy!" I grinned his way.

"Hey, Tenshi" he grinned. "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

"This is most probably the worst pun I ever heard" I snorted. "And the worst time to say it too"

Allen landed next to us as the redhead put me back on my feet.

"You two are alright?" I asked, dusting myself.

"We're fine" assured the white haired boy.

But no matter the bravado, the three of us were panting like dogs, our uniforms in pieces as blood seeped from different wounds. Well, for them.

Gotta love Gabriel.

 _Aw, I love you too. Don't make Bookman Jr jealous, though._

 _Shut the hell up._

"You know, with the door gone, we won't be able to get out" remarked casually Lavi.

"Even so, now's not the time to be sleeping on the job" retorted Allen.

"Yeah, those two tried so hard, we can't let ourselves look bad" I nodded to the other two, who were watching from farther away.

"Then let's go"

And there we go again.

 _You were most probably my favorite Host, Hime._

 _Don't give up just yet. Something's coming. We're not done for._

 _…_ _Then what are you waiting for? Move your stupid ass._

 _Fuck you._

 _Nan, it's Lavi's job._

Sometimes, I really hate my life.

* * *

"Fuck, that hurts" I grunted.

But I got up again.

Something was coming. We just had to last a little longer. We wouldn't die here.

I wouldn't allow it.

Allen crashed into me, and I struggled to keep my balance.

"We can't even touch him" he spat.

"Don't give up" I scolded his tone. "We're still alive, right? Then we're not allowed to give up"

"Man, I didn't sign up for this" panted Lavi, joining us.

"Aw, you know you'd be bored to hell and back without it" I retorted with a smirk.

"Talk for yourself" he scoffed. "If we get back, I'm going to take a really long nap"

I narrowed my eyes at him and roughly hit the back of his head.

"Hey!"

"Not _if_ " I corrected seriously. " _When_. _When_ we get back. We're all going home, got it? Now suck it up and get back on your feet, you big babies. We've still haven't managed to land a blow. My pride's taking it hard"

They shook their heads, smiling a little, but I could see some sort of fire in their eyes again. Satisfied, I turned to face Dark Mikk for the nth time.

 _You really believe it._

 _I do. You seem surprised. Any brilliant idea?_

 _Concentrate._

I frowned a little, but did so nowadays as the boys ran back to the fight.

After a few seconds, I managed to find another Innocence approaching our way, and fast. I could also make out the heavy smell of a cigar, and the bitter taste of the alcohol.

No need to search harder, I already knew who it was.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me" I grunted.

 _Be glad at least someone's here._

 _Oh, I am. But I'd rather it not be him._

 _Yeah, me too. I've always wanted to punch him._

 _Oh,_ I _'ll punch him after all of this. Really, really hard._

The ground under Allen's feet started glowing, and I flew back to where Lenalee and Chaozii were standing. Lenalee was still trapped with the weird wires –we didn't exactly had the time to free her- and Chaozii seemed slightly out of it, most probably because he used up so much Innocence in one go without even having it at hand.

"What's happening?" asked my female friend, scared.

The ground broke, and Allen started falling.

"Don't worry" I shook my head.

"But Allen-"

"Cross's here"

She gaped at me, then looked back at the hole, where Allen's scream had suddenly stopped. A second and a half later, Cross was there, dangling his apprentice by the ankle and standing on top of his _Grave of Maria_. He let go of the boy, and jumped down.

"Seriously?" I heard Lavi asked.

"Err, who's he?" asked Chaozii.

"C-Cross Marshall…" answered Lenalee, apparently not believing her eyes.

The Master gazed down at the student, who stared back.

"Master" finally greeted Allen.

 _Wait for it._

 _Ten bucks he's going to throw him away._

 _I'm not betting on that, Hime. We both know you'd win._

I grinned when Timcanpy sat itself on his head, and his eye widened a little at the sight of Allen's Innocence.

"Well, seems like you're finally able to manage a worthwhile activation" he remarked. "But even so, you're all rags. Here"

He landed him his hand to help him up, and my jaw dropped a little.

 _This is weird._

 _You tell me, Trickster. Has he discovered kindness while we were away?_

However, before Allen could take his hand, he grabbed his collar and threw him our way. I pushed myself out of the way in time as the white haired boy crashed where I was a moment sooner, and I shook my fist Cross's way.

"Stupid womanizer!" I yelled gaining his attention. "The hell do you think you're doing, showing up like that in the middle of fucking nowhere?"

"Ah, Aryane" he blinked. "Seems like you've finally achieved your potential too"

"You have no idea" I cracked my knuckles.

"However… YOU'RE FILTHY!" he yelled. "Idiots!"

He then turned at Lavi.

"Oi, you! Get your arse over there too!" he ordered. "You're in the presence of a beautiful being. Filthy things go over there"

"Bitch, I'm gorgeous!" I yelled back angrily. "Get some fucking glasses you damn asshole!"

 _Hime, it's not the time._

 _Am I really that filthy?_

 _Don't sound so depressed! We're in the middle of a fucking battle for dear life, of course you'd get a little crass over yourself!_

 _But my hair's okay, right? My beautiful, beautiful hair…_

"Ary, not the time" sweatdropped Allen, seeing my depressed state.

I shook my head as Lavi joined us and Dark Mikk made it's way back here.

"I come to see what's happening, and what do I find?" asked rhetorically Cross. "You lot rampaging on a ship that's on the verge of destruction. You've lost consciousness, haven't you?"

Understanding he had everything in hands, I let my head fall onto Lavi's shoulder.

"I can't believe he's here" he mumbled.

"I'm going to punch him so, so hard…" I promised.

"When we get back, that is" he completed with a small smile.

I smiled back.

 _Why are you all happy, suddenly?_

 _He said 'when'._

 _But that means he trusts Cross to get you all out of here._

 _I don't like it either, but the stupid womanizer is a strong Exorcist. We're in… good hands, now._

 _You sound a little sick._

 _If I ever admit that out loud, I think I'll throw up._

"Eh, what's that?"

At the redhead's question, I raised my head to see Cross now using his first Innocence.

"It's his _Grave of Maria_ " answered Allen.

She started singing, and I sighed happily at the melody. Cross might be an ass, but he had two great Innocence. _Grave of Maria_ always had been one of my favorite.

 _Say, Trickster! Does it works the same way as_ Hell's Salvation _or_ Heaven's Damnation _?_

 _Not exactly. Your illusions will force their own minds and hearts against themselves. His and Road's are manipulated and created to satisfy their needs. Yours isn't as volatile, but it inflicts much more damage then you'd guess._

 _I can't wait to try them, seriously. It didn't seem to work that well with the Earl, though._

 _The Earl… is different. You tried_ Hell's Salvation _but he's the fricking Millennium Earl. He doesn't fear anything, or rather nothing you can exploit._ Heaven's Damnation _will probably be more effective, but I don't promise great things. He doesn't exactly want anything else, except utter destruction._

 _Right…_

"Eh, it's _Magdala Curtain_ " I blinked, recognizing the sort of veil surrounding us. "That's nice. I don't really want to make any more efforts if he's around to take care of it"

"You're just lazy" snorted Lavi.

"I'm just letting him do his damn job, for once" I shrugged. "Sue me"

There were a few gunshots, and I smiled, recognizing _Judgment_.

"Yep" I popped the 'P'. "Mikk's definitely screwed. Too bad we don't have any popcorn, though. I could use a snack right now"

"No matter the circumstances, you'll always be the same" Bookman Jr shook his head. "I don't know whether to be glad or exasperated"

"Aw, you know you love me!" I grinned.

But instead of grinning back, he simply cleared his throat and gazed back at the fight.

Well.

That's just weird.

 _Hime, you can be adorably dense sometimes._

 _Eh? Why? What do you mean?_

But the bastard simply laughed.

* * *

A screech brought my attention back to what was happening, and I blinked in surprise when I realized that Cross was about to send the fatal blow.

 _I think I spaced out for a moment._

 _No shit. You really ought to focus more on your surroundings._

As he was about to shoot, though, the floor before him exploded in a blinding light that forced us to look away. When I reopened my eyes, it was only to see the fricking Millennium Earl standing on one of the flying debris, Tyki's body slung onto his shoulder.

"Of fucking course" I grunted, getting up.

The others got back on their feet too at the sight of our greatest enemy.

"I'll have these kids disposed of" his voice echoed in the silence.

The ground shook, and I nearly lost my balance. However, horrified gasps from behind made my heart miss a beat. I turned in time to see Lavi and Chaozii falling through a new hole in the ground.

"Shit!"

Lavi managed to grab the new Host and extended his hammer to us. Allen grabbed it, but the weapon had suffered too much attacks, and crumbled into the boy's hand, making my blood turn to ice.

 _Lavi._

They were falling.

 _Lavi._

He was falling.

 _Lavi._

I can't let him fall.

 _Ary, don't-_

Without thinking, I jumped after him. My arm stretching as far as I could, all my thoughts swirling in my head and my eyes focused on the boy's shock-stricken face.

 _Lavi._

He can't die here.

 _Lavi._

I won't let him.

 _Lavi._

I never told him. I have to tell him.

"LAVIII!"

 _I love you._

A bright green eye was the last thing I saw before everything was engulfed by darkness.

* * *

 _A… ry…_

God, let me sleep.

… _ry… up…_

I said to let me sleep, damn it!

 _Ary!_

Fuck!

I snapped my eyes open, but instantly closed them as a bright light burned my pupils.

"Damn it" I grunted, shielding my view from the damnable white.

 _Ary! You stupid, idiot, fucking moron of a Host! You're the most reckless person I've ever had the misfortune to meet, and probably the fucking luckiest too!_

"T-Trickster?" I groaned. "Fuck, stop screaming, I've already got one headache coming…"

 _You deserve each and every fucking headaches that come your way, baka! I can't believe you fucking jumped after the guy!_

My eyes widened slightly.

"Lavi… oh my God, is he okay?"

I quickly got back on my feet, and cringed at the sharp pain of my dislocated shoulder.

 _You deserve that one too._

"I can't believe it" I passed an hand over my face. "I never… I almost never told him… everything went so fast and I never…"

I choked relieved sobs, but no tears came out. I wasn't about to cry for that. It would be stupid.

 _Not as stupid as you've been, that's for fucking sure!_

 _Man, Trickster, you sound kind of pissed…_

 _KIND OF PISSED? YOU FUCKING JUMPED TO YOUR DEATH! HOW CAN I NOT BE FUCKING PISSED?_

 _Fuck, take a chill pill, would you? I'm fine, now. Well, I've got a few cuts, but nothing you can't heal right a-_

 _I ain't about to heal any of those, you imbecile. Live with the fucking consequences, I'm not going to regenerate you anytime soon._

 _Tche, fine._

I let out a shaky sigh, and looked around. I was in one of the streets, and the whole Ark seemed to be back.

 _Something happened –not that I know what- and the Ark's download was erased, stopping the process of auto-destruction. Everything came back to the way it was._

 _But… Gab, that means that the rooms are back too, right? Then Krory and Kanda…_

 _They should be okay. Their Innocence is really weak, like Lavi's by the way, but they're here._

At Lavi's name, everything that happened washed over me, and I felt sick.

 _Ary…_

 _You were right. I've waited, and almost paid the price. You don't know how much you loved someone until you lost him, right? You're right on that too, I'm a fucking idiot._

 _Then what are you waiting for? Go find your stupid boyfriend already!_

 _But where-_

"Moshi! Rice! Pork ribs! Ary! Allen!? It's dinner time! Come out you two! Steak! Pasta!"

 _He's calling me like I'm a fucking dog or something._

 _Let's be honest, it would work if you weren't so shaken up._

 _…_ _point taken._

 _There. Now go get him, tiger!_

Not really thinking, still a little out of it, the only thing I could think about was how I almost made the biggest mistake of my life.

And I wasn't about to do it twice.

So, I ran. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my shoulder, I ran. As fast as I could, putting every ounce of strength I had left in my legs that threatened to gave in at every step. The voice was closer now, and I could make out Chaozii's too.

"Yuu's underwear!" I heard him yell suddenly, barely a corner away.

A door slammed.

"Bring it on, you retarded rabbit!" snapped Kanda's voice.

"Aw, Yuu!"

I stumbled on my feet and lost my balance, sending me rolling into the dust.

"Ow…" I mumbled.

"A-Ary!" exclaimed Lavi, relief in his voice.

I snapped my eyes at him.

He's alive.

 _He's alive._

No more controlling my own movements, I got up and ran at him.

"LAVI!"

I jumped into his arms and, my mind completely blank, I kissed him.

There was a moment of lingering silence as he tensed, and I was about to pull away when his mouth moved on mine.

He's kissing back!

 _Oh my fucking God, he's kissing back._

 _Told ya so._

* * *

He saw her. When she jumped.

He remembered falling, sending his hammer in one last stretch to cling to life, he remembered it breaking, and then the red haired girl jumping after him, hand reaching for his.

There was darkness.

When he woke up, she wasn't there. Chaozii was a few meters away, but she wasn't there. So, easily reaching the conclusion that if they were alive, well Yuu, Crow-chan and her were too, and he started searching for her.

"Moshi! Rice! Pork ribs! Ary! Allen!? It's dinner time! Come out you two! Steak! Pasta!"

It probably wasn't the best way, but he knew her well enough to say that she'd come, if not for the potential food, to hit him.

At that point, he would let her hit all she wanted, as long as he knew she was okay.

"Spaghetti! Ham! Pancakes! Ary!? Hot chocolate! Come on!"

Seeing as she still wasn't there, or answering, he decided to try calling for another of his teammates.

"Yuu's underwear!"

The door next to Chaozii –who was watching him with some sort of awkward- slammed.

"Bring it on, you retarded rabbit!" snarled Kanda.

He had Krory with him, but he seemed unconscious.

"Aw, Yuu!"

Suddenly, there were precipitated footsteps in the next street. Someone fell, and a familiar girl rolled into the dust.

"Ow…" she mumbled.

"A-Ary!"

He was relieved to see her, that was for sure. What the fuck was she thinking, jumping after them like that?

Her eyes were weird, though. Why was she looking at him like that?

She got back on her feet and ran at time, stumbling a few times, skidding on the pavement.

"LAVI!"

She was suddenly in his arms, k- holy shit, she's kissing him?

 _SHE'S KISSING ME!_

At first taken aback, he then kissed back with all the piled up emotions he had kept in the back of his head for so long.

He didn't know if it was a dream.

He didn't know if she only acted that way because she had been scared and confused.

What he did know, though, was that he wouldn't let go so easily, now.

Maybe his grandfather was right, after all. Things were going to get complicated for the future Bookman. But, for now, he really couldn't care less.

* * *

After a few seconds, we both pulled away, panting a little, and I let my head fall onto his chest.

"Don't do that again" I mumbled. "Don't you fucking dare do that again, Bookboy"

Seeing as he didn't answer, I raised my eyes to him and saw him sporting a dumb smile on his lips.

"Bookboy?"

"Strike!"

Unable to control myself, I started laughing uncontrollably.

"You're… you're an idiot" I choked.

"I'm _your_ idiot" he retorted, hugging me.

"Yeah, you are"

"Hell, find a fucking room, you two" grunted Kanda.

Suddenly remembering we weren't alone, and exactly _who_ was there, I freed myself from Lavi's embrace and turned to see Kanda supporting an unconscious Krory.

"So, still alive, Jerkface?" I smirked, crossing my arms.

"Go die, Akahato" he retorted.

"Age before beauty" I replied.

But then, my smile dropped, and I hit his head as hard as I could.

"Damn it, wench! What the hell!?"

"You scared me, Ba-Kanda!" I shook my fists. "I don't fucking care what _you_ think, but you're my friend, even if you're a real asshole and a jerk with that, so don't you fucking scare me like that again, got it!?"

He simply stared at me with wide eyes, and I was suddenly whacked behind he head too.

"Hey!" I protested, rubbing the sore spot and glaring at Lavi.

"You're one to talk, Tenshi!" he roughly poked my forehead. "The hell were you thinking, jumping after us like that?"

Embarrassed, I looked away and mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?" he asked, clearly not impressed.

"I said that I wasn't thinking!" I repeated louder. "I saw you falling and I just- my mind went completely blank and I jumped, end of story!"

"That's utter crap" he replied. "But seeing as these are happy reunions, and I can't resist to your puppy eyes, I'll let it slide for now"

"You're whipped" snorted Kanda, apparently back from his stunned silence.

"A-am not!"

I laughed a little, then looked down at Krory.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked, frowning a little.

"He collapsed, but he's still alive" answered Kanda. "What the hell's going on now?"

"I don't really know either" Lavi shook his head. "Hey, get your ass out there, Beansprout!"

 **"** **Who're you calling a Beansprout, Baka Lavi!?"**

"A-Allen?" I looked around, trying to find the boy. "Where the hell are you? Are you okay? Is Jumper okay too? Hey, Jumper, are you there?"

"The Beansprout's voice's coming from the sky" remarked Kanda.

 **"** **The name's Allen, Ba-Kanda! I won't forgive you if you call me that again"**

At that, we all smiled a little.

"Oi, answer my damn questions, Kiddo!" I called.

 **"** **Y-yeah, we're fine, Ary. Lenalee and Master too. Oi, Lavi!"**

"What is it?"

 **"** **Strike, uh?"**

At that, I felt my cheeks burn as Gabriel burst out in laughter.

"Shut the hell up, Kiddo!" I yelled.

"Aw, you're all red, Tenshi" grinned Lavi, hugging me from behind.

"I hate you all"

"Maybe the others, but you love me" he retorted, still smiling.

"That I do"

He seemed surprised, before his smile widened and he kissed me again.

 **"** **Oi, oi, that's enough you two! Geez, get a room…"**

"You're just jealous, Allen" smirked the redhead.

"Of course he is, I'm fabulous" I rolled my eyes dramatically.

"That you are"

"I swear if you say one more fucking cheesy line, I'll kill the two of you" a vein bulged on Kanda's forehead.

I snorted, then smiled brightly at Lavi and squeezed his hand.

It was over.

 _About damn time, too. Atta girl, by the way. Ready to go home?_

 _Home… yeah, that sounds nice._

* * *

I was now walking into the city with Lenalee, searching for… well, I don't really know, to be honest.

"So, you and Lavi, uh?" she smirked, bumping my shoulder gently.

"Don't you start with that, Jumper" I groaned. "Or I'll send Evil Komui on you and Allen"

"But we're not-"

"It's just a question of time" I waved my hand as if chasing a fly.

She looked away, blushing a little, and I smiled. It was good to see her alright.

"You were right" she finally said. "About all of us going back together"

"I promised, didn't I?" I retorted.

"You changed" she replied quietly. "When I met you, you were this little ball of sarcasm that kept going only for the memories. You always put others before yourself, but you never believed to be able to save them. It always kind of scared me, to be honest. How you so easily complied to death. But now, here you are, determined to bring everyone back no matter what, never loosing hope"

"Jumper…"

"I like it" she beamed at me. "I'm glad to have you by our side, Ary"

I smiled softly at her words, and ruffled her hair.

"I'm glad to be there too, Jumper"

We stepped into another empty street, and I blinked at the weird sight.

"Eh, isn't that Chaozii?" I asked, just to be sure.

"Uh? Oh, you're right" she realized. "What's he doing, all hunched up in that doorframe?"

We joined him and I snickered a little when I realized that the others were all clinging to each other to escape falling to their death. Allen was gripping Kanda's ankle, who had grabbed Lavi's shirt, and who's own ankle had been caught by Chaozii, who was struggling to get them back up.

"Hey, guys" I called. "Having fun?"

"T-Tenshi!" choked Lavi, apparently unable to breath correctly.

"Hold on, we're getting you out!" said Lenalee, grabbing the redhead's ankle too.

I sighed, but helped anyway. However, there was a slight problem.

"Damn it, you morons" I grunted, pulling with my left arm. "You ought to eat less"

"That's rich coming from you, Akahato!" scoffed Kanda down there.

There was a flash of light as a tingling sound made itself heard, and two metallic bracelets appeared around Chaozii's left wrist.

"Innocence!" I realized.

The next second, he had pulled them all out with his new abilities.

"Oh, super strength" I realized. "That's cool"

He looked down at the bracelets in wonder.

"That's right, you're an Host now" remembered dumbly Lavi.

"What?" frowned Kanda, kind of confused.

"I-it's stuck on my wrist" stuttered Chaozii.

"Maybe that, because the Ark calmed down, it was able to find you" proposed Allen.

"This is… Innocence" he said quietly. "The power… to defeat the Akumas… Lady Anita bestowed this on me"

"You wanted the power to live for your friends, didn't you?" I asked with a small smile. "You got it. You're one of us, now"

He smiled back, apparently a little unsure, and I sighed when I easily read his doubts.

"I don't really care about what you said, back in the tower" I assured. "You didn't know anything. You still don't, but you're going to learn soon. And I hope that, when this day come, we'll be able to be friends"

"Hai" he nodded, more determined.

"Good! Eh? What's with the long face, Bookboy?" I blinked at the redhead.

"My Innocence's in pieces" he stared at the remains of his hammer with dramatic tears. "Eh, yours too, Yuu?"

"Don't call me that!"

"I'm sure Komui will be able to fix them" proposed Allen.

I cringed in honest sympathy at that, and patted Lavi's back in pity.

"More importantly, I'm worried that Krory hasn't woken up yet" remarked Lenalee. "If we're not able to get out, we won't be able to get him treated"

"Oh, Master is watching him, isn't he?" remembered Allen.

At his words, I stiffened, remembering another oath I made.

"Ary?" Lavi tilted his head in wonder.

But he suddenly backed away, probably feeling my bloodlust, and I darted towards the tower, the others following close behind.

* * *

I ran to the room Allen told us about, and found the Marshall taking a smoke. Instantly, I saw red.

"Oi, you stupid womanizer!" I exclaimed, making my way to him.

"Ah, Aryane! We didn't-"

Not letting him finish, I punched him square in the face as hard as I could, before bringing my knee up where the sun don't shine. He collapsed under the strength of the blow.

It hurt, seeing as I used my right fist, but _damn_ did it felt good at the same time.

"A-Ary!" exclaimed Lenalee.

Ignoring her, I grabbed the damn man by his collar and started shaking him.

"You made us run halfway across the world on a fucking goose chase, and now you fucking show up? I swear to God, you're coming back with us to Headquarters and you ain't getting out until _I_ say so, you fucking got it? _Et je te jure, si tu penses ne serait-ce qu'une seule seconde à fuir à nouveau, je vais t'arracher les testicules and tu ne pourras plus jamais passer la nuit avec une femme_ _!_ "

"She's awesome" I could hear Lavi's smug smirk.

"Lavi, am I allowed to think you're a masochist?" asked quietly Allen.

"Say that to my fucking face, Kiddo" I narrowed my eyes at him.

He raised his hands in a surrender gesture, shaking his head.

"I- I didn't say anything!"

"That's what I thought" I snorted.

"M-Miss Aryane, are you injured?" suddenly asked Chaozii, gazing at my right arm.

My evil smile stilled in place as the atmosphere suddenly turned heavier and everyone eyed me suspiciously.

"W-what? Me? Of course not, you know I've got _Archangel_ for th- _PUTAIN_! What the hell, Jerkface?"

He simply crossed his arms as I gripped my throbbing arm. Allen paled a little.

"Ary, didn't you say your shoulder was dislocated?" he remembered.

"… no"

"Ary!" they all exclaimed in one voice.

I simply let out a nervous laugh.

* * *

My arm in place again, but Gabriel still refusing to heal it, I was now sitting next to Krory, who was still unconscious. Everyone was around, Allen next to the piano.

"The Edo Connection?" repeated Allen. "What's that?"

"It doesn't matter, just say it!" retorted Cross, annoyed. "Geez, you're such a pain… After that, we can get out of here"

"You'd better explain everything thoroughly later, Master" a vein popped on his apprentice's forehead.

"Agreed" I sent a scathing glare the Marshall's way.

He gulped a little, remembering our… charming reunion, and cleared his throat.

"Just get on with it" he grunted.

"Yeah! I want to hear it too!" agreed Lavi, pointing at the piano.

"Just do it, Beansprout" scoffed Kanda.

Instantly, flames rose high around the two as electricity crackled between them.

"Didn't I say that the name was Allen?" he asked icily.

"Quit fighting!" Lenalee pushed her way through.

I snickered a little at their faces, but she turned an annoyed glared to me, which made _me_ gulp.

"You're not out of trouble either, Ary!" she assured in a threatening gesture.

"Y-yes ma'am" I sweatdropped a little.

The others laughed, and Allen placed his hands on the keys.

"Err… release the ship's Edo Connection" he ordered.

Then, he started playing. The lullaby was soothing, I liked it.

 _Of fucking course!_

 _T-Trickster? What-_

 _It's_ him _! I didn't saw it before, but now… I can't believe I hadn't realize it before!_

 _Gab, what's happening!?_

 _I'll tell you everything when we're back to Headquarters, okay?_

 _…_ _alright. Still mad at me?_

 _You have no idea._

"Ark, please open the gate!" exclaimed Allen, still playing.

There was a flash of light, and a door that looked exactly like the one we used to get to Edo before appeared in front of us. Lavi passed his head on the other side. We had agreed not to tell the rest for now, seeing as our situation was still confused to us too, so we've decided to just act like usual until we could talk it out.

"Oi! You guys alright?" I heard him yell.

He jumped through.

""Y-you came back!" that was Mari's voice.

"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Allen, passing through. "Seems like we've made it out in one piece!"

"You're right!" Lenalee followed him.

They jumped out, and I could make out Miranda's sobbing. Kanda followed.

"Are you alright, Kanda?" yelled Marie in a happy tone.

"Shut it, Marie!" he snapped.

"MASTER! Did you hear that?" the man completely ignored him.

There were some muffled screams, before Kanda came back and dragged Chaozii out of there.

"Here you go" I heard him scoffed.

They fully passed to the other side, and I was about to do the same when Cross placed an hand on my shoulder.

"You've got quite the secret here, don't you, Ary?"

I looked back at him, keeping my cool.

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"Of course you don't" he replied smoothly. "Don't tell Leverrier"

"You think I'm stupid?" I shot an hand over my mouth. "Shit"

He snorted.

"If that's how you keep a secret, then I'm seriously worried"

"I won't tell him, you're just sneaky" I huffed. "How'd you guess?"

 _Even I am curious about that._

"Let's just say… I've got my chance, once" he took a smoke.

My eyes widened at that.

"You mean _you've_ got an Angel?" I spluttered. "You can't have one- I mean, you're- you're you! It's not-"

"Nan, I kicked him out" he shrugged.

"Of course you did" I facepalmed.

"Are you going to tell the others?"

"I… I'm thinking about it" I admitted. "I have to understand better myself first, though. We didn't exactly had that much time"

"Good"

Understanding he wouldn't say anything more, I rolled my eyes and made my way to the door.

 _In a way, I'm really glad he's on our side._

 _Yeah, me too. What was that about kicking his Angel out, by the way?_

 _I've heard of it, many years back. Michael chose him as his vessel, but the man was too strong-minded for him to control, so he left and chose another one._

 _Is it wrong of me to be happy about that? Because having_ him _of all people against us…_

 _Nope, I feel the same way._

 _And are you-_

I froze, barely centimeters away from the door. My abdomen was burning. Why was it burning?

Looking down, I made out a black spear piercing me from side to side.

I blinked, and pain suddenly washed over me as I collapsed to my knees.

"Aryane!" that was the Marshall's voice.

"I really hate these _Shield_ s of yours, Ary-chan" cackled another voice. "Makes killing you harder. Guess I'll have better aim next time, ne?"

I spat some blood as I felt myself being lifted from the ground, making my head spin. However, I could clearly make out a familiar figure floating above me.

"M-Millennium.. Earl…" I coughed. "Damn, that… hurts…"

There was another cackle, before he disappeared.

* * *

I felt more than saw the transition to the real world, and I realized it was most probably the stupid womanizer carrying me. He placed me on the ground.

"Hey… is that sand?" I asked, feeling the ground under me. "That's… nice –cough-... I like the- the beach –cough-…"

"Ary!"

"Hey, L-a-a-a-vi…" I grinned. "Are you –cough- to… to the b-beach –cough- too?"

"Miranda!"

"H-here!"

"Ary, I'm taking it out" said the redhead, serious for who knows what reason.

"T-taking –cough- what… out?" I giggled. "Y-you're… weird… -cough-…"

But suddenly, utter pain shook my whole body, and I let out a scream. My vision was blurry, black spots dancing before my eyes, but the pain was soon replaced by a soothing feeling to where was supposed to be my wound.

The pain had made me lucid again, and I slowly sat up with the help of the future Bookman.

"God, that hurt like a bitch…" I mumbled. "I feel kind of dizzy, though… Mira-chan, I seriously love you right now"

"I-it's only temporary, Ary" she shook her head. "Y-you'll have to get it t-treated"

"Don't I know it" I mumbled. "Damn, Boss's going to give me yet another earful"

Someone else crouched beside me, and I smiled at Bookman, who offered a slight smile back. There was also something glinting in his eyes…

"Oh God, are you crying, Ji-ji?" I grinned.

"I'm not!" he swatted the back of my head.

"Master, what happened?" asked Allen somewhere behind me.

"The Earl tried to kill her, her _Shield_ deflected the blow somewhat" he resumed.

"W-wait" I shook my head. "I didn't activate _Shield_ , how could it…"

There was a glow, and I looked down at my chest, where the pendant Rohfa, Shifu and Rikei had made for me emanated the faint light.

"Well, who'd have thought there gift would work out that way?" remarked Allen.

"Kiddo, remember to me to hug them really hard once we see them" I grinned.

"What's this?" asked curiously Lenalee.

"A pendant three scientists –really nice, by the way- made for me when we were back at the Asian Branch" I answered.

Lavi helped me up, not saying anything, but I could see his unsure glances to his grandfather. They were more than probably into Bookman mode and wondering just why the hell would the Earl go out of his way to kill _me_ , of all people, and Lavi probably added it to the reason why the twins kind-of kidnapped me sooner.

Damn geniuses.

"Well, we're all alive and kicking" I stretched a little. "We completed our mission by finding the stupid womanizer, and Tiedoll-sensei completed his mission by finding a new Host in our dear Chaozii here. So, how about we go back to the Asian Branch as promised?"

Everyone nodded, and we went back inside the Ark, where we had left Krory. Lavi grabbed my hand and squeezed it slightly.

"I'll tell you everything I can" I assured silently. "Once we're back"

"I'll hold you to that" he nodded in the same tone.

"Did you tell Ji-ji?"

"He knew before I stepped out" he grunted. "But later"

"Later" I agreed.

We let go, and I went to sit next to Lenalee, eying the spot where I had been pierced sooner.

 _I'm not going to heal that one unless you're about to die._

 _What? I've got a fucking spear through my stomach, and you won't heal me?_

 _I'm still mad at you._

Bastard.

* * *

We walked out of the new door, and found ourselves in the same room we had left by –what, a day or so sooner?-.

Now that I think about it, it seemed longer than it really was.

The few scientists present had wide, wide eyes, and Won ran away, most probably to warn Bak about our return.

As expected, I was right, seeing as they both came back running a two minutes later.

 _Your modesty is astounding me._

 _Shush._

"Hey, Stalker-chan!" I grinned, waving a little. "Guess who's back?"

"We'd like to borrow a phone to call Headquarters" added Lavi.

But he wasn't listening to us, his eyes lingering on the girl next to me. I bite back a laugh that threatened to erupt, and nudged Lenalee's side. She blinked at me, and I pointed at Bak, who was gaping at her.

She smiled at him.

Needless to say, the man kind-of died on us, his hives hitting like a brick wall. Unable to help it anymore, I placed my head against Lavi's chest to muffle my laughs as much as I could.

"Who's that guy?" he sweatdropped, patting my head.

"That's the Asian Branch's Head, Bak Chang" answered Allen.

"Are they alright? With a leader like that…" the redhead trailed off.

"W-Walker-san! Ary!"

"Rohfa-chan!"

Letting go of my laughter fit, I hugged her as hard as I could.

"I-I'm so glad you're both safe" she sobbed in my shoulder.

"It's thanks to you!" I beamed at her and the other two, pulling away. "Hadn't it been for the necklace you made for me, I'd be dead by now!"

They blinked at that, then eyed the necklace in wonder.

"R-really?" Rikei scratched the back of his head. "Well, glad it could help"

Someone else stepped out of the Ark, and an hand roughly fall onto my head. I looked up to Cross.

"He's your man, Ary?" he eyed Rikei.

"D-Dafuck? The hell are you talking about, you stupid womanizer?" I protested, struggling out of his grasp. "You know I've got… someone else!"

I shot a look at Lavi, pleading for some help, but he just shrugged, apparently enjoying the show.

Bastard.

"W-we're nothing of the sort, sir!" Rikei quickly shook his head.

"Hm…"

"Marshall!"

I stumbled out of his vice-like grip, and Lenalee suddenly… hugged him?

"Don't go!" she pleaded.

 _Oh damn, she's got the puppy eyes._

 _Well, I won't fear him leaving anymore. No one can resist's Jumper's puppy eyes._

 _This Bak dude is having a heart attack, though._

I fell back into another fit as Allen and Lavi watched everything with wonder, shock, confusion…

"Is the Asian Branch going to be alright?" asked Bookman Jr.

"I-I'm sure they'll manage" I choked. "Oh God, you're all ridiculous…"

He grinned at that.

"Maybe, but you love us" he retorted, passing his arms around me.

"More than anything" I assured.

Making sure no one was looking, we exchanged a quick peck on the lips.

 _Aw, come on! Where's all the heat? The passion? The flames?_

 _Voyeur._

But I was smiling.

* * *

 **So, here's the confession! Well, more a kiss out of impulse than anything else, but I like it so much! Oh, and I plead guilty: I was too lazy to write the part with the piano where Allen saved everyone, so I just decided to "kill" Ary along with Lavi and Chaozii.**

 **That is all.**

 **Question: How was Ary and Lavi's little confession? Good? Bad? Too soon?**

 **Reviews!**


	30. Home Sweet Home

**So, let me tell you this: this chapter was one serious pain in the ass to write. Well, the last half, at least.**

 **Maa, you'll see what I mean.**

 **Answer: Well, the only review said it was amazing, so I guess it was.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

We all stepped out of the Gate 3, and it took me a few seconds to realize that we were now in the European Headquarters' Hall.

"Okaeri!"

Looking around, I realized that all the scientists were present, lifting to enormous banners saying 'Welcome Home' and sporting big smiles on their faces.

"Hey guys!" I waved. "How's life going?"

For only answer, they cheered and laugh, and something warm settled in my heart, making me smile too. Then, my eyes settled onto Komui, just in front of us.

We locked gazes.

 _You're screwed._

 _No shit._

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, GOING _MIA_ LIKE THAT? WE HEAR THAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR FRICKING INNOCENCE IN PIECES AND THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE, BEFORE BAK INFORMED US THAT YOU JUST FRICKING COLLAPSED AND THEY THOUGHT THEY LOST YOU, AND THEN YOU JUST WALTZ BACK IN LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED AND TAKE ON A FRICKING LEVEL THREE WHEN YOU JUST WOKE UP FROM A COMA, AND _THEN_ YOU SCARE THE HELL OUT OF US BY TURNING OFF YOUR EMITTER ONCE IN THE ARK, BEFORE SAID EMITTER GOT SHUT DOWN SOMEHOW!"

"IT'S NOT LIKE I FUCKING ASKED TO HAVE MY WING RIPPED APART, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I DIDN'T EXACTLY HAD THE OPTION 'DO YOU WANT TO LIVE' WITH THE CRAZY RED BUTTON! AND YEAH, I WALTZ BACK IN LIKE YOU SAY BECAUSE I'M JUST THAT FUCKING AWESOME! As for the emitter, I don't have any good excuse, sorry about that AND DAMN IT, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M THE ONE WHO SHUT THEM DOWN!"

"I DON'T CARE! YOU'RE ON PAPERWORK DUTY FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS, YOU HEAR ME!? YOU STOLE YEARS OF MY LIFE WITH ALL THE FRICKING DRAMA THAT FOLLOWS YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO, YOU DWARFED SOCIAOPATH!"

"TAKE THAT BACK YOU CRAZY-SISTER-COMPLEXED-MORON!"

There was a moment of heavy silence, before his face broke into a gigantic grin.

"Okaeri, Ary" he simply said.

"Tadaima, Boss" I replied.

"Nii-san…" I heard Lenalee mutter to my right.

I rolled my eyes, grabbed her shoulders, and pushed her ahead. She shot me a look, before gazing back at her brother, and her eyes filled with salty water as she ran at him.

"NII-SAN!"

He caught her in his arms, and I smiled as confetti started falling around us.

 _Hime…_

 _What is it?_

There was a chuckle.

 _Touch your cheeks._

 _My cheeks?_

Puzzled at the weird demand, I did as told, and froze as my fingers came in contact with a liquid running down my face.

 _Am I bleeding?_

 _No, you moron._

I then realized that the alien substance came from my own very eyes, and there were startled gasps from Lavi and Allen, who gaped at me like fishes out of the water.

"Ary!"

The cry gained the attention of the rest of the people present, who fell deadly silent, and I stared wide eyes at the water on my hands.

"I'm… crying…" I blinked. "Why… am I crying?"

I looked at Lavi, hoping he'd have the answer, but he simply smiled and placed his hand on my head.

"Home sweet home, ne?"

Home.

 _I'm home._

 _You're home._

 _…_ _finally…_

And at that, my last barriers broke down and the tears fell without any sort of restraint.

Home.

At last.

* * *

Needless to say, my little fit had made everyone kind of panic, seeing as it wasn't exactly a daily occurrence. When I finally calmed down, and everyone settled back to some sort of normal, it was time to get Miranda some well deserved rest.

 _Otherwise said, you're in for a world of pain and suffering._

 _You're still not going to heal me?_

 _No._

Miranda let a few tears fall, and I smiled.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine" I assured.

She blinked at me, as if remembering something.

"W-why aren't you on a s-stretcher already, Ary?" she asked. "With y-your wound, it'll be d-dangerous to stay up…"

I cringed as the other's eyes snapped at me, remembering just now that I had had my abdomen pierced not an hour sooner.

"God, no need for these looks" I rolled my eyes.

But, I laid down nowadays. After that, Miranda took a deep breath.

"Time record, cease activation" she ordered.

There was a flash of light, and she suddenly collapsed.

"Mira-chan!"

I tried to get up, but my body stopped answering my demands as my stomach split in two, blood splattering around. Gasping for air, I fall back on the stretcher as my breath hitched and black spots danced into my vision once more.

This time, I let everything go, though.

Too tired for all this crap.

* * *

I looked around, surprise. I was in some sort of white forest. Feeling a presence, I turned around and saw Gabriel sitting farther away.

"Yo, Trickster" I greeted.

 _"_ _Hime! Come here"_

I sat next to him, and he grinned at me. I eyed him suspiciously.

"You're not mad at me anymore?"

 _"_ _Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm thoroughly pissed with you! However, I can put that aside for now. I have to tell you more about Allen, and myself"_

"I'm listening"

I sat more comfortably, and he took a deep breath, before starting –his mouth still wasn't moving, by the way.

 _"_ _When I first became an Exorcist, before being an Angel, I met this Noah, called Nea D. Campbell. He was the Fourteenth Noah, and the closest to the Millennium Earl. We fought a few times, talked at others. I discovered he wanted to become the new Millennium Earl, but with new goals, which were approved by Father. However, when he betrayed the current Earl, he failed. After that, his reincarnation kept dying before he could truly come back, and I never saw him again. He was… he_ is _, a good friend of mine. And Allen is his new vessel"_

"W-what?" I shook my head. "Wait, but does that mean Allen will loose control?"

 _"_ _It depends on how things will go. For you and I, we're both on the same length of mind, so we can cohabit without true struggle. For Allen and Nea, though, it's another story. Allen wishes to save humans and Akumas alike, and Nea wishes to kill the Earl to take his place. They have two way different minds, and as long as they can't merge with each other like we did, they will both fight for control"_

"W-what… what do you want me to do?" I asked, more calmly. "Allen's my friend. I won't let him disappear"

" _I know"_ he smiled. " _Nea's my friend too, and I won't let him disappear either. So, the only option is for us to help them merge. Guide their path, side with them. They can be one, we just have to help them through it. Of course, you don't have too"_

I thought for a moment, before nodding.

"I'll do it" I assured.

 _"_ _Sometimes, I worry about how open-minded you can be"_ he admitted.

"I don't care if Nea is a Noah" I replied honestly. "I don't classify one person because of it's peers. If he is different as you say he is, and if you trust him, then I'll trust him too. Because I trust _you_ "

 _"_ _Damn, now you make me feel bad for being mad at you_ " he mumbled.

I laughed a little at that, but soon became serious again.

"The Earl and apparently the Noahs know about you. Cross knows too, but I'm not really worried about him. I'll tell Allen, so that Nea knows not to kill me or whatever. I'm going to tell Lavi too, because he's already suspicious of something, I can't lie to him any longer and he'll most probably corner me about it anyway" I resumed. "I'll tell Bookman too, seeing as he won't interfere. I won't tell Boss, Jumper or any of the others for now, seeing as they might be coerced into telling the tight-asses-higher-ups. Is that alright with you?"

 _"_ _I told you, Ary, you can do whatever you want. I'm just here to help, not control. I appreciate the concern, though"_

"Alright" I breathed, more at ease. "Do you think the Earl might try to kill me again?"

 _"_ _Seeing as Road can't use her powers to extract the information they want, he'd have to wait for the reincarnation of the Fifth Disciple, who might be able to actually bring down our barriers. However, no one can predict when a Noah will reincarnate. During that time, you might lead the Exorcists to the Heart, and he can't risk that"_

"Otherwise said, we're screwed" I resumed flatly.

 _"_ _Nan, we'll be fine"_ he waved it off. _"For now, at least. He won't risk attacking Headquarters right now, seeing as he lost one of his Noahs and four others are in no fighting shape"_

"Alright, I think it's all for- oh, right! I was wondering something"

 _"_ _Go on"_

"Ever since I activated _Angel_ for the first time, so many years ago, I've been having these… nightmares. You know about them, of course, but I was wondering if… well, you know, if you could find a way to keep them away? I can't depend on Bookman's sleeping pills like that for any longer" I scratched the back of my head.

At my words, though, his traits darkened somewhat, and he sent me what I recognized as an apologetic look.

" _These… aren't , nightmares. They're… well, they're my memories"_

Processing the information.

Processing the information.

Processing the infor- WHAT?

He cringed.

"B-but how- why- these can't-" I couldn't find the right words to describe the horror I felt right now.

Memories.

All these deaths of people I didn't even know, all this suffering and the utter destruction… All this time, I though it was merely my imagination going wild when the sun came down, but considering these _real_ …

 _"_ _I can't keep them away, or not in the way you see it"_ he sighed _. "They're part of our mental defense. That way, no one can get in while we're sleeping. If I take them away –I'm not even sure I'd be able to, by now-, we'd be very vulnerable. Plus, it… allows me, to remember too"_

"… I see. I'm sorry, too. It must have been… very painful" I breathed out. "Is that why… Is that why your nature is to protect and save? Because I can easily guess it ain't Michael's"

He chuckled at that.

 _"_ _Yeah, you're right on that. To find an Host, we must first search for one who has the same goals, or ideals. That's why we can work together so well. Michael, however, after Cross's incident, opted for a less strong-minded vessel. That means he is in control, yes, but he isn't as strong as he could have been"_

"And what exactly does he fight for? We're the 'Protector and Savior', what about him?" I asked curiously.

" _Justice"_

There was a moment of silence, and I scrunched my nose.

"That's… kind of hazy, for a goal" I remarked. "Justice is a relative notion, volatile. It's easy to misunderstand it. Is that what happened with him? He lost view of his true goal?"

 _"_ _Exactly. He strove from his path and lost himself to his impulsions. He won't be able to see clearly again until he comes back Up"_

"Ooh, am I going to become an Angel too?" I grinned suddenly.

 _"_ _Nan, doesn't work that way, Hime"_ he laughed, ruffling my hair. _"But I'll put in a good word for you with the big Guy"_

"Geez, thanks" I rolled my eyes.

There was a weird buzzing sound, and the white forest started to become hazy.

 _"_ _You have to wake up now, Hime. We'll talk some more later"_ he smiled.

"Sure"

I beamed at him, noticing despite all the cheeriness in his voice the sad hue in his blue iced eyes.

* * *

I blinked a few times, realizing in was in the Medical Wing. Sitting up, there was a sting on my stomach but, when I looked, there was only a fine, white, scar.

 _Hey! You healed me!_

 _Tche, I couldn't let you fucking die either, baka._

 _Aw, I love you too._

 _You love the pirate dude more._

 _Don't even start._

"Hey, Ary"

"Yo, Jumper" I greeted, turning to her.

She was sitting in her bed too, Miranda lying on the one next to her, and the Head Nurse taking notes in the corner. There was a slight pull in my arm, and I narrowed my eyes at the IV, before pulling the needle out with intense disgust.

Instantly, the old hag was next to me, KI radiating from her in violent waves.

"And exactly _what_ do you think you're doing, Miss Aryane?" she asked sweetly.

But her smile was feral, and it took me all my courage to hold her gaze.

"You know I can't stand needles" I retorted, hoping I'd sound braver than I really felt. "And I'm fine, I'm all healed up and up to go, so…"

"Absolutely not!" she snapped, pushing me back down.

 _Hey, the old hag got some serious strength._

 _No kidding. She'd get along with Mother._

 _Honestly, Hime? I shiver at the thought of the two together._

"Alright, alright" I gave in, laying back down.

She eyed me suspiciously, before walking to the table in the back to work on some lotions or whatever.

 _Are you seriously giving up?_

 _As if._

Without a sound, I got out of my bed, and crawled to the door.

Yes, I _crawled_.

 _You're an idiot._

 _And you're annoying, but do you see me complaining? I'm the one mopping the fucking floor._

I could feel Lenalee and Miranda's amused stares on me as I finally reached the door. Getting up slowly as to not attract attention, I opened the door as silently as possible.

Of course, it had to creak.

Very, very loudly.

The old hag instantly turned around and spot me. Letting go of any sense of subtlety, I slammed the door open and ran outside for dear life as she screamed after me.

 _She's terrifying._

 _And she's pissed too._

 _Scared, Hime?_

 _Don't make fun of me, anyone with a sense of preservation would be._

 _Touché._

"GET BACK HERE!"

"NEVER!"

* * *

Running down the hallways and skipping around the scientists and Finders on the way –they merely shot me amused glances, apparently too used to this situation-, I took a sharp turn and opened the first door I could find, before going in and instantly closing it.

I let out a shaky breath.

"Ary?"

Surprised, I turned and saw Lavi, Kanda, Chaozii, Allen, Marie and Krory in their own medical beds.

They -minus Krory, who was still unconscious- blinked at my sudden appearance.

Then, the angry screech of the nurse was heard, and I laughed nervously.

"Hey guys… so, all's well? Cool, I'll be off the-"

The door slammed open, letting the angry Head Nurse enter. I instantly backed away and hid behind Lavi's back, who's confusion turned to amused understanding.

Wait.

Why is everyone _amused_ by this?

 _I am too._

 _I hate you all._

"You are in no state to run around, Miss Aryane!" she snapped, taking threatening steps in my way.

"But I'm alive and kicking, why should I stay in bed?" I protested, using the redhead as a human shield.

"Stop acting like a child, Miss Aryane!" she replied, trying to grab me.

I managed to escape her grasp, and hide behind Kanda, who narrowed his eyes at me. I nudged him her way.

"Here, take this sacrifice to appease your wrath!" I cried dramatically.

They both glared at me, and I laughed nervously.

"Right, right, no one sane would like Jerkface as a sacrifice anyway…"

His glare hardened and, next thing I knew, I was sent flying into the nurse's grip.

"Nooooo! Bad Jerkface, bad!" I tried to wriggled my way out.

"As long as you don't have permission from the Supervisor, you are not allowed to leave the Medical Wing" warned coldly the old hag, trying to drag me away.

"Fine, I get it!" I struggled. "But let me stay with them, at least! I want to bug Ba-Kanda some mo- ITAI!"

"Shush! We're in a medical area" she remarked.

 _She's dragging you by the ear._

 _No shit!_

"Gah! Bookboy, save me! Kiddo! Cherub! Chaozii! Even Jerkf- nan, not him. He's an ass. But someone!" I pleaded.

They just shook their head with some sort of fond exasperation –Kanda scoffed, though-, and the door closed as the nurse dragged me forcefully to my doom.

* * *

In the end, I bullied Komui to set me free when he came crying to Lenalee. Finally able to walk around without the risk of being killed by the old hag –she kept glaring at me the whole time-, I instantly went to the cafeteria to grab some grub.

I was _starving_.

 _No change here._

 _Fuck off, I'm hungry. Sue me._

Entering the room, I happily made my way to the counter, where Jeryy was working.

"Hey, Gusto! Feeling good?" I called.

He turned around, letting his pan fall on the floor and, at my sight, tears streamed down his face. Next thing I knew, he was choking me with his bear embrace.

"G-Gusto! Let m- let me go!" I gasped for air.

He obeyed, sniffing.

"I'm so glad, Ary, so, so glad!" he sobbed. "What can I get you? I'll do anything!"

"Great, I'm famished!" I grinned. "So, I'll go with some curry, salmon with a touch of lemon, a bowl of fuming rice, a pack of sushi, some mashed potatoes, four pork ribs, two corncob, your famous stew, pastas, a Swiss fondue, six kebabs and two piece of Black Forest, along with a cup of hot chocolate"

"Right away!"

Two minutes later, I was sitting at my table and eating my fill. It seemed like forever since I could eat as much as I wanted, and it was even better seeing as it was Jeryy's cooking.

"Hey, Ary!"

"Checkmate!" I waved as he joined me. "How are you feeling?"

"Good, good. What about you? With… what happened, to Summan…"

My smile twitched a little, and I sighed.

"It's alright" I shrugged. "We tried to save him, but the Noahs got him first… I won't fail next time, though. I won't let any of my friends go down the same path"

He sniffed at my words, and rubbed his eyes to wipe away the tears forming. Smiling again, I squeezed his hand.

"Want to play a game later?" I proposed.

"Y-yeah" he nodded.

Apparently, the loss was still very fresh, because he couldn't hold back his cries any longer. However, before breaking down before everyone, he bowed.

"Later, then" he choked.

Then, he ran away.

 _Are you sure you're okay?_

 _I couldn't save him. I feel bad for it, of course, but I know that either way, he would've died because of the Teez inside of him. Mikk is the only one to blame for this._

 _At least he won't cause any trouble for some time._

 _Right._

I finished engulfing the last of my snack, before heading out.

 _I'm going to find Allen and tell him now. With what happened in the Ark, there is no doubt that suspicions will arise and he will be under heavy scrutiny. If I wait any longer, there is no way to tell when –or if- I'll be able to get him alone._

 _Are you going to tell him everything? Because the poor boy has many questions._

 _I'll tell as much as I can._

 _Alright._

I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes to help me concentrate. After a few seconds, I could make out all the auras in the Headquarters. The Finders and the scientists' auras were some sort of blue/green hue. The Exorcists' auras were heavier, stronger, and a mass of swirling red.

It took me exactly six minutes and twenty-three seconds to manage to identified each of them.

 _Not bad, Hime, but not good either._

 _I'm going to work on that, don't worry. For now, though, I can't find him. Where the hell could he be if not at the- oh._

 _The Ark._

 _Yeah, thought so too._

But of course, the door was currently under observation by half of the Headquarters.

He just had to make things complicated, didn't he?

* * *

I managed to get inside, and instantly headed for the piano room.

On my way there, though, two other presences made themselves known. One of them sent chills down my spine, but not of fear.

Of utter _disgust_.

I stopped in my tracks when they caught up to me, and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Miss Aryane" greeted the man with some sort superiority.

"Leverrier" I sneered. "To what do we owe your… pleasant, presence?"

The blond to his right seemed offended by my blatant lack of respect, but Leverrier stopped him without a word.

"I am present under the Vatican's direct orders for analyzing the situation of Mr. Walker" he answered plainly. "And yours, while I am at it"

" _My_ situation?" I repeated, my voice growing colder. "Is that because of my Innocence's sudden revival? Because, as you should know, one of _Angel's_ abilities _was_ regeneration. It is no grand surprise"

His glared hardened.

"Bak Chang declared you a lost cause a day after you woke up from your first coma, and they gave up on your case when you fell into your second. But then, as suddenly as it happened, you woke up and brilliantly save the day with a brand new and stronger Innocence" he resumed hauntingly. "The same as Walker, apparently"

"Oh, you think I was brilliant?" I batted my eyelashes. "I thought so too"

"This is no game, Miss Aryane" he cut sharply. "You should be dead"

"So sorry to disappoint" I retorted.

We held each other's gaze for a few seconds, before he looked away first and started walking again. I stood in place, not moving an inch, when he arrived by my side.

"You should be aware, Miss Aryane, that if we discover _anything_ about your situation that you should have told, it would be considered treason" he remarked. "And that the blatant lack of protocol you seem to display could be justified as a defying the authority"

"You should be aware, Leverrier, that I have nothing to hide" I gritted my teeth. "And that I only show respect to those who deserves it"

He scoffed, then walked away. The blond eyed me one last time, apparently unsure about how to react, before quickly following.

I scowled at them.

 _I hate this man._

 _You tell me, Trickster. I don't blame him for his goals because no matter what I think, he's got his priorities straight. He's not the bad guy, per se. However, he's just like Michael. He's not using the right methods, and that makes all the difference._

 _They're going to cause trouble, though. Knowing him, he's probably going to observe the boy –and maybe us- 24/7 to gain each and every little proof he might find and use against him and us._

 _I won't let him. You told me yourself, I have to help Allen and Nea. No matter what happens, I'll side by them._

 _What about Lavi? What happens when your paths diverge?_

 _…_ _we'll see when we get there. I have to talk to him next anyway._

 _Don't take too long. You learned your lesson from last time._

 _Don't remind me._

* * *

"Hey, Kiddo" I called, entering the white room.

He was sitting on the piano bench, his head between his knees, and I felt kind of bad for him. He raised his head at my voice, puzzled.

"Ary? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Make some place"

He tossed himself a little, and I sat next to him.

"There's… a lot of things, I have to tell you" I said, not exactly knowing where to start. "It's kind of… complicated, at first, but you'll understand, alright?"

"What are you talking about?" he frowned. "What's going on _now_?"

I almost snorted at his sarcastically resigned tone, but restrained myself. Now was not the time.

 _Trickster?_

 _I'm here._

"Look into the mirror, Allen" I asked softly, nodding to the opposite wall that seemed to be composed of said mirror.

His frown deepened, but he obeyed nowadays, and stiffened as he saw Gabriel waving at him instead of my reflection.

"W-what?" he spluttered.

He seemed paler than normal.

"Don't you faint on me, Kiddo" I warned. "So, this is Gabriel. He's an Angel. Like, a real, real, Angel. And I'm his meat suit-"

" _Vessel"_ he corrected.

"Same thing" I rolled my eyes. "So, I'm his Host on this Earth. Long story short, we kind of merged together when I activated my Innocence for the first time, but we only managed to get into contact when I fell into my coma-like state back at the Asian Branch. We talked, I realized the true meaning behind my own prophecy, then I woke up and activated _Archangel_ and beat up the Level Three along with you and _Crown Clown_ "

He searched for his words for a few seconds, before shaking his head.

"Is that… is that why you always seemed to talk to yourself?" he asked, understanding washing over his features. "Because he talked to you?"

 _"_ _Bright kid"_ grinned Gabriel. _"That's right. Ary and I are now one, and we'll get stronger as our bond deepens. We have our own mission, aside from her being an Exorcist"_

"Protector and Savior of the Innocence" remembered the white haired boy.

"Exactly" I nodded. "There's another enemy besides the Akumas, the Noahs and the Millennium Earl. He's called Apocryphos, but he's actually Michael, this moron's brother"

 _"_ _I'm not a moron"_

"Yes, you are. Anyway, you don't have to worry yourself about him, Trickster and I are taking care of it" I waved my hand as if chasing a fly. "However, right now, you have what happened with the Ark that's important"

"You know?" he asked fervently, hopes writing on his traits. "You have answers?"

"Not all of them" I shook my head. "But a few. You see, just like Gab and I, you've got someone else in your head. His name is Nea, and he's the Fourteenth Noah"

At that, he seemed to be ready to faint.

"A- a… Noah?" he repeated weakly.

"Chill out, Kiddo, he's a good guy" I assured. "He's actually Trickster's friend"

He breathed in and out a few times, before nodding at me to continue.

"Seeing as he now made his appearance for the first time within you, things are going to get a little more complicated" I pursued, choosing carefully my words. "Your goals and his goals differs, and that will lead to some important disrupting, where you will both fight for the control of your body"

 _"_ _That wasn't exactly said with tact, Hime"_ Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oi, I'm here to help, not sugarcoat the truth" I remarked. "But that's not the point. The point is, you can't just kick him out. It doesn't work that way. However, he won't let you control in peace either"

"Then what should I do?" he pleaded. "What does this have to do with Mana? Why does- why does this happen to me? Am I really walking my own path, or was it just made up for me to walk on!?"

As he seemed to loose his cool, I roughly whacked the back of his head. Instantly, he calmed down, and shot me a half-glare, half-apologizing look.

"I don't know what it has to do with Mana" I admitted, knowing the father-like figure of Allen's life. "What I _do_ know is that no matter what happens, you are still Allen Walker, and no ones can make you walk a path that isn't your own, even a Noah hitching a ride in your skull. As to what you can do, the best way to do so is to accept it"

"What!?"

"Okay, not like that" I corrected myself. "Sorry, came out wrong. What I mean is… God, Trickster, a little help here?"

 _"_ _What my stupid Host is trying to say is that the only way for you_ and _Nea to both have what you want is to concord your goals, your purposes"_ he resumed. _"Ary and I can fully merge now because we are on the same length of thoughts, hearts and souls. If you can manage the same thing with Nea, then not only will you grow stronger, but you will both be able to survive"_

He paled even more than I deemed healthy.

"B-but… I don't want that!" he shook fervently his head. "This- this is _my_ life, _my_ body! I can't just let him in like that!"

"We're not saying you have too" I assured softly. "We're just saying it's the best course of action. I can fully understand your position, and I respect your choice if you decide not to go with it. You can fight to keep control, but it won't be easy, and most certainly painful. In the end, you very well might loose to him"

"I-I won't let it happen" he assured, determined. "I will always be Allen Walker, and no one else!"

"Good" I grinned.

I got up, and Gabriel waved once again, before disappearing from the mirror.

"I don't know anything more" I concluded. "You know as much as I do. Cross might have more answers about Mana, if you really want to know. What you can be assured of, though, is that whatever you choose to do, I'll be by your side. I won't make decisions for you, 'cause I'm just here to give you a little nudge when you need to move, but I'll be there"

He stayed silent for a moment, deep in thoughts, and I sighed, before making my way outside.

"Ary"

I tilted my head his way, and he smiled at me, the first true smile I saw him sport since we got back.

"Thank you"

"Anytime. I'll see you later, Kiddo. I've got to have a talk with someone else"

As I placed my hand on the handle, I remembered an important detail.

"Oh, by the way! Don't tell any of the others about Gabriel and me. You might not have seen him or even know him, but Apocryphos' lurking around. He could very well coerce our friends into spilling everything to him, and that would put everyone in a very bad position" I warned.

"Got it" he nodded, seeming more calm now. "Are you going to tell Lavi?"

"With Bookman" I confirmed. "They don't have the same obligations as the usual Exorcists, so it won't be a problem for them to keep a few secrets"

He nodded once again, and smiled back for the second time.

"We've got ourselves some really weird situations, didn't we?"

"That we did" I agreed, smiling too. "Later, Kiddo"

"Later"

As the door closed, I sighed heavily.

 _That's going to be tougher now. He won't accept the Noah, and Nea won't even consider the potential of a merging without some nudging in that direction._

 _If Allen doesn't want too, it's his right, though. I'm just going to be there as much as I can for him, and hope for the worst while preparing for the worst._

 _That's the spirit. You going to tell the Bookmen now?_

 _Since I'm at it._

 _More like you're too lazy to do it later._

 _Shush._

* * *

There was a moment of silence as Gab and I finished explaining for the second time that day, and I let out a breath as the two Bookmen eyed me with very serious expressions.

"That… is very unexpected" finally said Bookman. "And you said that with some training, you'd be able to find the Heart?"

"In theory" I confirmed.

"And that's why you kept talking to yourself" added Lavi.

"Was I that obvious?" I scratched my head, dubious.

"You started snickering for no reason at the weirdest timing" he pointed out.

"Touché"

"Why did you told us this information, not only about you, but also about Allen?" asked Bookman, bringing back the serious mode that had disappeared for around three seconds.

"Very simple" I shrugged. "One, you're a Bookman and he's a Bookman-in-training. That means you won't tell anyone else, for you can't interfere and only record. Second, because I need as much people on my side as I can without endangering anyone. Again, you're Bookmen. You don't have the same rules as us Exorcists. Third, because I thought you'd like to know, for recording and all. And finally, because you were already onto my case and Allen's and I knew you'd find out sooner or later anyway"

 _"_ _Also because she didn't want to lie to little Lavi"_ added Gabriel with a twisted grin.

"Shut the hell up, Trickster" I warned.

At that, Lavi actually smirked.

Bastard.

Bookman let out a deep sigh, kind of resigned and distrusting at the same time.

"Talking about that… what are you two going to do now?" he asked again.

I exchanged a look with the redhead, before biting my lower lip and playing with my necklace.

"We haven't… exactly talked about it" he admitted sheepishly. "We didn't had the time to do so"

"Who knows?"

"Kiddo, Jumper, Jerkface, Chaozii, Cross and you" I resumed. "I don't know about anyone else"

He hummed, thinking about something, and I took in a deep breath.

"Ji-ji" I called, gaining his attention once more. "Whatever we choose to do, Lavi and I are both aware of our positions. He has his future as a Bookman, and I have my own destiny as the 'Protector and Savior'. Will come a time when our path will diverge in two completely different ways, and you know as well as I do that nothing can get into fate's plans. When that day comes, we'll be ready"

At that, his eyes actually softened a little.

"I see"

He then got back on his feet.

"As long as you can assure the same thing to me with the same belief you just showed me, I will not interfere" he promised. "I'll leave you two… talk it out, now"

"See you later, Ji-ji!" we both waved.

He simply walked out, and the door closed behind him.

Silence ensued.

 _"_ _Well, that's awkward"_ remarked Gabriel.

"Shut it"

 _"_ _Hey, Bookman Jr!"_ he called, completely ignoring me.

"What is it?" the redhead asked, more curious than anything else.

" _I ain't about to take your girl, promise!"_

"W-what? Gab! The hell are you talking about?" I exclaimed, red tainting my cheeks.

"I wasn't worried about it" assured Lavi, grinning too. "Keep teasing her for me, would you? She's cute when she's embarrassed"

 _"_ _Agreed"_

"I hate you both" I hit my head against a wall.

"Nan, you love us" replied Lavi.

" _Well, more him than me, that's for sure"_ drawled the damn Angel. " _I blame favoritism and your pirate fetish"_

"I don't have-"

He simply waved and disappeared. Really embarrassed now, I couldn't dare look at Lavi, who I knew was still grinning like an idiot.

"Aw, don't be like that, Tenshi" he cooed, hugging me by behind. "I'm just making a new friend!"

"You two will be the death of me" I groaned.

He chuckled, and hugged me tighter. In the end, I turned around to face him.

"So…"

"So…"

"Well? What are we?" I huffed. "What's 'us' now? Is there an 'us' even?"

"Do you want to have an 'us'?" he replied easily.

I stayed silent for a moment.

"Ary?"

"Yes, damn it!" I blurted out.

The blood rushing to my cheeks once again, I hide my face in my hands. He gently grabbed said hands not a second later, and forced them down. Then, his lips were on mine once again. I answered instantly, filling the need that kept nudging me since we got back.

When we pulled away, he laughed.

"Good, me too" he admitted. "And about what you said too Ji-ji too"

"Leverrier's here" I said quietly.

He stiffened a little.

"So… no PDA?"

Unable to stop myself, I snorted.

"You're an idiot" I shook my head. "But no, not when him or one of his subordinates might catch us. They could try to use it against you or me, and Leverrier already seems suspicious of me"

"You don't exactly help your case" he remarked.

"Your point?" I replied.

He grinned at that, and pecked me on the lips again.

"That's what I like about you" he answered smoothly.

"Charmer" I teased. "Say, when did you realize that… well, you know, you…"

I couldn't bring myself to end my sentence, the whole ordeal still kind of surreal to me.

"Love you?" he completed.

"… yeah"

Love. Was he even conscious of the weight of this simple word?

At his smile, I guessed he did.

Imbecile.

"When we left for Edo, after finding out about your supposed death" he admitted, loosing a little of his easy-going façade at the memory. "I thought I lost you, and I just didn't understand because as a Bookman, I couldn't attach myself to anyone, but you were a different story, and I didn't get why. Then, Ji-ji said something along the lines of 'choosing between you or my destiny', which I was still to dense to understand, and Krory sealed the final blow when he.. said… something"

"What was it?" I asked, very curious.

At that, some pink actually tainted his cheeks and he looked away, mumbling something under his breath.

"What?"

"He said I looked at you the same way he looked at Eliade"

The words echoed in my head for a few seconds. At first, I was tempted to scoff but then, I remembered the weird looks he shot me from time to time before our forced separation, and when we met back in Edo.

I realized he was right.

"My turn, now" he proposed. "How did _you_ realize it?"

"Kiddo made some stupid comment about trying not to make you jealous" I rolled my eyes. "Seeing as I was really, really dense, I didn't get it and he explained later on that, ever since the first time he saw each other together, he thought we were an item or whatever. You know me, I went through this whole denial phase, but Trickster kept bugging me about it before declaring me 'whipped'. In the end, I just decided to think about it once we were back here, at Headquarters, but then we were trapped into the Ark and… well, you know the rest"

He nodded, seeming to think about something, and his traits hardened a little.

"Why did you jump?"

Ah, the thousand bucks question. I played with my necklace, gazing at a stain on the floor that now seemed very interesting.

"I couldn't let you fall" I finally decided to say. "When I saw you falling, and your hammer crumbling, the only thought running in my head was that I was about to loose you, and I just _reacted_ , you know. When I woke up after Kiddo saved us all, I realized that you – _we_ , almost died, and I'd never have told you how I felt"

"Well, I'm happy and all, but don't do that again" he asked, hugging me.

"This is starting to sound like a fricking broken record" I rolled my eyes. "If I can, I won't. If I can't, fuck that"

"Still such filthy tongue" he teased, leaning closer. "Want me to wipe it clean?"

I instantly pushed him away.

"You pervert!"

He simply laughed like the dork he was, and I huffed.

"So, to resume everything: we're an item, but we don't tell those who weren't there to see it by themselves on the Ark. If Leverrier hears something, we deny it. And when _that_ day comes…"

"We both do what we have to do without the other holding us back" he completed, still smiling. "Easy peasy"

I smiled back, but something told me we were both very wrong about it.

 _You won't know until then, right, Hime?_

 _Hey, I didn't hear you since you left._

 _Sweetheart, I know when I'm not needed. I'm not that rude of a guy to watch such an intimate conversation._

 _Aw, that's sweet, Trickster! Th-_

 _I won't do it again, though. Miss out on too much juicy details._

 _I take it back, you're the worst._

 _Love you too, Hime._

* * *

 **Hey, so here's a more traditionnal confession! Ary's starting to sort things out, the nightmares DO have a purpose, she told what she could to Allen -I was careful so as to not fucked up the plot too much- and Leverrier has now joined us.**

 **Bastard.**

 **Anyway, I hope that was to your liking.**

 **Question: Who actually likes Leverrier?**

 **Reviews!**


	31. Another Asshole Joins The Club

**WAAAAA! Thank you XxBlue-ButterflyxX, Leahcar-Soutaichou and especially Ronnie-Sugar54618 for your wonderful reviews! I was so happy to read them, I just couldn't wait to post a new chapter -not that I usually do, but whatever.**

 **Loads of sass in this chapter, you have been warned.**

 **Answer: NO ONE! Ah ah, sucker!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Stay calm, Hime._

 _I am calm._

 _You're about to murder the guy. This is not what I call being calm._

 _But he's not dead yet, so I am what_ I _call being calm._

For the last hour or so, I had been listening to the inquest requested by Leverrier. The main topic was, of course, the grand return of Cross Marshall, who's mission I had discovered apparently had been to destroy the Akuma factory.

It wasn't that I cared that much about the stupid womanizer's fate. I knew he'd get out of it somehow. However, I wanted more information on what was going on too. And, I hated how the stupid advisor talked about everything that was going on as if he wasn't concern. He told the numerous loss the Order suffered as if it was yesterday's weather, used the Exorcists as if they were living weapons and treated everyone around like pawns that didn't deserve to have a life.

Also, knowing Leverrier, he would bring up Allen's case one way or another.

I was damn straight right, of course.

"We are uncertain as to whether Allen Waller is an ally or an enemy" he announced. "This is a grave matter, and must be resolved by any means necessary"

"Bitch" I growled under my breath.

"W-wait a second! Inspector!" Komui tried to intervene.

"Central Administration has decided that Allen Walker will be tried for heresy" pursued Leverrier, unperturbed.

I managed to bite back the angry scream that threatened to burst.

 _Ary, breath!_

 _They're basically condemning him to his death! This is fucking ridiculous!_

 _I know, okay? I know! But it's not over, there might be another way. Just listen._

Knowing he was right despite all, I obeyed, and brought back my attention on the current debate ongoing at my feet.

The Head of the American Branch asked for the right to speak.

"What is the reasoning behind the claims that Exorcist Allen Walker is a heretic?" she asked plainly.

"It's just as Head Bak said" replied Leverrier, not even hiding his smug smirk. "We must discern whether something is dangerous to us, much more so than the Ark. That is Allen Walker, Cross's pupil"

 _He's completely twisting his words!_

 _In and out, Hime. In and out._

"Head Bak, as you said sooner, the Ark has been used by the Millennium Earl for over 7000 years, and has been a great bane to us. That being the case, how could Allen Walker manipulate it? What do you think, Cross Marian Marshall?"

 _He kind of as a point, though._

 _Not helping, Trickster._

However, my dark mood turned lighter for a moment when I realized along with all the others that the stupid womanizer was asleep.

"Uh?" he 'woke up'. "Oh. Well, it was a desperate time for us. When a human's in danger, he can do anything"

I wanted to facepalm at that. Even _I_ wasn't convinced.

"Ah, I see" sweatdropped Leverrier. "You consider me a fool"

"More like a bastard" I mumbled.

"Marshall, you made Allen Walker your pupil directly after receiving the mission of destroying the factory right? You raised him as an Exorcist, then sent him to the Black Order and disappeared from the face of the Earth"

"Actually, I contacted once via a certain Aryane Darkelston, before the missions of retrieving the Marshalls were set" he pointed out.

"Sure, bring me into this" I grunted.

"It is irrelevant for now. The point is, this is the same Allen Walker that controlled the Ark! In other words, you snuck him into the Black Order while knowing his true identity as the one who inherited the Fourteenth's will!"

I straightened at that. He couldn't know. How could he know?

 _Shit's going down._

 _Still not helping!_

"Allen Walker is the successor the Fourteenth left behind, is he not?" pursued Leverrier, some sort of sick victory etching on his features.

My fists clenched. That was bad.

The rest of the occupants in the room were even more confused, not knowing what the hell was actually going on.

"Did you believe we gave you the factory's destruction mission in ignorance?" insisted the Inspector.

"You sent me here on purpose?" smirked Cross, in appearances unaffected.

But I could feel his aura getting more agitated.

"Since you aren't denying it, are you then admitting your own involvement with the Fourteenth? Now, you will answer me!"

"It's interesting to hear you talk like that about the Fourteenth" deflected the Marshall. "Who told you so much about him?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here" replied Leverrier. "What we want to know is whether Allen Walker fights for our side or theirs"

 _That's it._

 _Ary, don't-_

"This is utter _bullshit_!" I exclaimed angrily.

My voice earned startled cries from a few of the scientists and Heads around, a lot of mouths gaping and wide eyes, an heavy sigh from Komui, a snort from Cross and a scathing glare from Leverrier as he gazed up at me.

I jumped down from my spot on the ceiling, and landed next to Komui.

"Ary, this is not-"

"Allen Walker is an Exorcist!" I cut. "I don't care what you think, but he's one of us, an ally, a comrade, and a friend! He never betrayed us, and never will!"

"Aryane Darkelston, Exorcist" drawled Leverrier. "You are not allowed to attend this meeting"

"Does it looks like I give a fuck?" I spat. "I won't stand aside as you spout these shenanigans about those who actually do something for this damn Order!"

"Whether he's an Exorcist or not, if he's helping the enemy, he's a threat to us and a heretic" he answered with assurance.

I gritted my teeth.

"If he actually was a heretic, then that would mean he betrayed God, wouldn't it?" I remarked. "But everyone here knows what happens to the Hosts that betray God's will. Summan Dark's situation was only one of the many that fell throughout the years and your stupid experiments. If Allen Walker really was a traitor, then we'd have a gigantic, headless, white, monster destroying everything around on our back, which is obviously _not_ the case"

"We must remain an absolutely pure army of God that never mixes with evil" he tried again, but I could see some annoyance in his eyes.

"Then why don't you walk out of here this instant? That'd be a good start, don't you think?" I snapped.

The other Inspector, who's aura was a weird mass of orange and sparks, jumped on his feet with an outraged expression.

"How dare you address your superior of the sort?" he intervened.

"I dare because ever since I came here six years ago, and way before that, all he's ever done was sit on his rear with that damn stick up his ass and watch the corpses fall around him as if he didn't have a single fuck to give!" I retorted, even more angry now. "We Exorcists have the power to defeat Akumas, yes, but we are not weapons! We are human beings, like everyone else, and real humans actually have feelings, if you ever wondered! We won't just die because why-the-hell-not and we sure ain't about to jump just because you fucking ordered us too! And, as long as this ego-complexed-Vatican's-bitch doesn't understand this, he'll deserve my respect as much as the dirt under my boots!"

He actually took a step back at my outburst, mouth gaping and apparently unable to come up with something to answer back.

Using this momentum, I turned my attention back to Leverrier.

"You ain't no God, Leverrier. Get that into your thick skull" I concluded.

He wasn't glaring, simply staring at me with cold, calculating eyes. There was a clapping behind us, and we all turned to Cross, who was applauding with an amused smile gracing his lips.

"Nice little speech, Ary" he nodded. "Very nice. Completely agree too, by the way. However, Inspector Leverrier… investigate. Go on, investigate Allen Walker and I all you want. Then you can decide what to do"

I gritted my teeth, but said no more, knowing I had already pushed my luck too much to be comfortable.

Leverrier smirked.

"Very well. I will take your advice, then. Cross Marian Marshall, you are to remain here at Headquarters for the time being and will be assigned an observer from Central Administration. Allen Walker's investigation will be monitored by Howard Link"

At that, the blond seemed to wake up from the stupor my words had plunged him into and bowed.

"Hai!"

"Your mission is to watch Allen Walker's every move, 24 hours a day" he announced.

"As you command, Inspector Leverrier" he saluted.

"Good. As for you, Miss Aryane…"

I kept my chin high. If I was in it, at least go all way through.

"If you are ready to give Allen a real, actual chance, to prove himself, then I will agree to whatever investigation you deem necessary" I assured.

He eyed me for a moment, before nodding his agreement to the deal. We may hate each other, but I knew he'd keep his end of the deal as much as I'd keep mine.

And I _always_ kept my deals.

"We will start tomorrow at eight pm sharp" he ordered. "We will meet at Hevlaska's room to first check onto your Innocence"

"Understood"

He then got up, and gazed around.

"Then, this meeting is adjourned" he declared.

And with that, he walked out with the blond- Link, right?

Instantly, I let myself fall onto one of the chairs, sighing heavily.

"Ary, what the hell was _that_?" exclaimed Komui. "You weren't even supposed to _know_ there was a meeting!"

"I've got my ways" I shrugged it off. "And I can't stand by and watch him act all high and mighty when he's nothing more than an ant crawling for a goal too high"

"That is not the point, and you know it!" he snapped. "I try to protect you and the others all I can, Ary, I really do, but you're not making it easy by constantly provoking Leverrier and with what happened just now…"

"I said what I thought, big deal" I huffed.

"You-"

"She actually had a good point on Allen Walker's case" remarked the American lady. "If he really was a traitor, he wouldn't be here anymore"

"She accused him-"

"She pointed out the obvious" pointed out the other lady present, who I recognized as Klaud Nine, the only female Marshall.

"She called him an ego-complexed-Vatican's-bitch!" yelled Komui, apparently done with all of my crap.

This earned a snort from another Marshall, who I actually never met before. Sokaro something, right?

"It was a good one, kid" he called.

"Thanks, Zombie-dude" I beamed at him.

There was a moment of silence, before he banged his head on the table and started laughing, and Lenalee's brother finally gave up.

"I just hope you know what you're doing, Ary" he rubbed his temples.

"I do" I assured. "And I'll be going now. I'm hungry"

 _You don't actually know what you're doing, right?_

 _They don't have to know that._

 _I can't believe you actually jumped in. Now, we'll be even more suspicious!_

 _The worst that could happen is them discovering about you, and I could easily divert them by talking about my GPS abilities._

 _It'll be a good trump card, but you'll have to use it wisely._

 _It's my joker, I ain't about to give it that easily._

He hummed, and I grinned.

 _Well, you've got to admit, it went better then we'd expected._

 _You're still a fucking idiot._

* * *

"Hey, Hev!" I waved at the gigantic snake-like female.

"Aryane" she replied in her soothing voice. "Have you come to check up on your Innocence?"

"Protocols" I shrugged.

"Good, you're here"

"And there goes my good mood" I sighed. "Leverrier. Shall we get started?"

"Miss Aryane" he replied. "Please do"

Sighing, I turned to Hevlaska, who lifted me from the platform. I still felt some sort of discomfort from her tentacles, but there was a slight buzzing, most probably coming from all the Innocence fragments stored into her body.

"Synch rate" she announced. "14… 25… 45… 77… 82… 87… Innocence of a parasitic type. Synch level: 87%. However, it would seem that… it keeps getting stronger… she will become a Point Breaker in around two months if it keeps up…"

She placed me back down, apparently puzzled by this unusual occurrence, and Leverrier tightened his lips a little.

"Let's go, Miss Aryane"

"Right. Later, Hev!"

But she didn't answer, apparently troubled by my situation.

* * *

I followed the Inspector in the hallways, careful to keep some distance between us. I didn't want to catch his tight-ass germs.

 _You're hopeless._

 _Damn straight._

"You are going to answer each and every question that I ask. Any of your answer can, and will, be held against you if it ever comes to it" he informed.

"Got it"

 _Lying?_

 _Depends._

"Head Komui Lee has however asked to be present" he added, and I could easily imagine the scowl he tried to hide. "Seeing as you are under his jurisdiction, he had a right to ask. The Bookman Jr also asked to be present for recording"

 _More like he wants to see how I'll get out of that one._

 _I like him more and more, Hime. If you're not careful, I might steal him._

 _Back off, asstard._

 _Ooh, possessive 'lil thing, ain't ya?_

* * *

We entered Komui's office, and I greeted everyone just as usual, before taking place on the couch. The supervisor crossed his arms on his desk, Lavi sent me a discreet wink –which I returned with a glare- and Leverrier took place in the seat in front of me as a girl I've never saw before stood behind him, a notepad and a pencil in her hands.

 _Trickster, her aura's weird, like this Link dude._

 _Magician, or something like that. We'll check it out later._

Leverrier cleared his throat.

"What is your name?"

"Aryane Darkelston"

"Age?"

"Seventeen, soon eighteen"

"When did you joined the Black Order?"

"Six years ago, soon to be seven"

He nodded as the girl scribbled my answers down.

 _And that's when the real buggers start._

 _They want the truth, don't they? We'll, I'll give it to them._

 _Going under the radar really isn't one of your favorite, is it?_

 _If I can keep their attention away from the others, then I'll gladly take the spotlight._

 _Of course you'd do, you're a fucking drama queen._

 _Am not._

"Miss Aryane, what is the nature of your relationship with Exorcist Allen Walker?" he asked.

 _Straight to the point, eh?_

"He's my friend" I answered easily. "And I'd trust him with my life, just like any other of my fellow Exorcists"

I sent a glance at Lavi, but he smiled a little. We both knew that I couldn't include him and his grandfather without looking even more suspicious.

"What if he betrays the Black Order?" Leverrier raised an eyebrow. "What will you do?"

"He won't betray us" I assured with confidence. "We're his family, and he considers us as much"

I could see the annoyed twitch to his mouth at the word 'family'. Apparently, my outburst a day later hadn't hammered the lesson in his head. Which is weird, seeing as there's most probably enough space with the obvious lack of brain and social skills.

 _You're one to talk, Hime._

 _Shush._

"I… see. What do you know about the Fourteenth?"

 _Lie!_

 _Don't even have too._

The Supervisor clapped his hands on the desk, not really hard but loud enough to be heard.

"Inspector Leverrier, I thought we agreed to keep all subjects clear" warned Komui.

"My apologies, but Miss Aryane agreed to any investigation I deem necessary and that, Head Komui Lee, is more than necessary" replied smoothly the bastard. "I will explain once the interrogation is done"

"It's fine, Boss" I drawled. "I've got nothing to hide. As for your question, I know what is the Fourteenth and what is the link with Allen –no pun intended. Boss, the Fourteenth is actually the Fourteenth Noah. Kiddo's his new vessel or whatever that means"

"And how, pray tell, have you come across these informations?" Leverrier narrowed his eyes.

"I bullied the stupid womanizer into telling me" I answered with a smirk.

There was a glint of confusion on his face as Lavi coughed to cover a laugh and Komui shook his head in despair.

"Who?"

"I punched Cross in the face before kneeing him where the sun doesn't shine and threatened to rip out his fucking balls if he didn't talk" I clarified.

This time, there truly was a snort from Lavi, but it went unnoticed as much as the girl biting her lower lip to bite back a laugh, because Leverrier's expression was the most precious. His whole posture actually showed some nervousness. All the guys can feel sympathy for one of their peers in these sorts of situations, even him.

On the other side, though, he seemed extremely satisfied for Cross's treatment.

 _Anyone would be, even him._

He then cleared hi throat.

"I… see. Onto the next topic... What exactly happened when your Innocence came back to full strength?"

"You probably won't believe it, but my Innocence actually came back to full strength" I deadpanned.

At that, the good mood that had settled in his snake-like eyes disappeared.

"Answer the question"

"Geez" I rolled my eyes. "I remember how it hurt, before falling into my second coma, as you called it. Then, when I woke up again, the Asian Branch was under attack from the Level Three. Allen was nowhere to be found, Bak Chang and his guardian deity were about to be killed, and I was the only Exorcist in the place. After that, all I say are my own theories: just like Allen and his _Crown Clown_ , I came to terms with my true purpose as an Exorcist and it allowed me to reach my full potential via _Archangel_ "

"True purpose?"

At that, I smirked.

"Protector and Savior of the Innocence" I simply answered. "That's my job, and I'd say I'm pretty good at it, if all the Exorcists that came back from the Ark mean anything"

"Your synch rate keeps going up" he remarked. "Hevlaska's announced that you'd become a Point Breaker in around two months"

Komui and Lavi stiffened, the first because he knew nothing of the sort, and the second because he didn't thought it would happen so soon.

 _Me neither, to be honest._

 _That makes three of us, then._

"I don't know any more than you" I assured. "But if it keeps going up as you're saying, shouldn't we be glad? I can't control it, and I don't know how it happened. Let's just be glad because it'll only strengthened the Black Order"

The girl wrote down some more, and Leverrier nodded stifly.

"This will concluded our meeting. Exorcist Aryane Darkelston, you are to remain to Headquarters until further notice and get your Innocence checked every three days. Also, Inspector Tewaku here will supervise your every move from now on, and will report anything suspicious" he informed.

"Hai!" she bowed.

"Got it" I sighed. "Can I-"

"Nii-san! What is this about Allen being watch by-"

I cringed a little when Lenalee froze in spot at the sight of exactly who was here. Fear and anxiety crept into her wide eyes.

"Jumper-"

"Good afternoon, Miss Lenalee" greeted Leverrier. "How are your legs?"

"Inspector… Leverrier…" she whispered.

"It appears we'll be imposing on you for some time" pursued the man, taking some sick pleasure into the sheer fear he inspired to my friend. "I'll also be examining your Innocence, by the way"

"Oi, Reese!" I called the scientist, deciding to intervene before it got out of hand. "Mind leading her out? I still have some points to clear with my new… err, roommate"

"Oh, and also" added Leverrier, ignoring the growing discomfort.

We turned to him, and I refrained the need to facepalm when he took out a plate filled with cupcakes and pastries.

"These are some of my freshly baked cakes. Care to try one?"

" _Now_ , Reese" I insisted, sensing that Lenalee was about to faint. "Isn't it time for her medical tests anyway?"

"R-right! I'll escort her" he nodded quickly, before waking her out.

She sent me one last look, and I felt my anger grow. She was plainly terrified of the man, and that didn't sit well with me.

However, now was not the time.

"I'll be going, then" I announced. "Err… Tewaku, right? Come on"

She handed her notepad to Leverrier, bowed, then followed. I sent a peace sign at Komui as Lavi went after us.

* * *

As soon as the door closed, he placed an hand on my shoulder.

"Have you found your flute, by the way?" he asked instantly. "I heard you lost it before leaving for your mission"

"Oh yeah, I left it on the roof" I scratched the back of my head, grinning sheepishly. "I've got to repair the first pipe, though. The half is broken"

"That's too bad" he frowned. "But I've gotta go now, report everything to Ji-ji. Breakfast tomorrow?"

"Sure. Later, Bookboy!"

He waved in a lazy gesture, before walking away. I then turned to Tewaku, who had been watching the whole conversation with some sort of disinterested confusion.

 _That was kind of bright, Hime._

 _Trickster, I'm a genius. Of course it was._

 _No, Lavi initiated it. You just went with the flow. But still, I say bravo for catching up so easily._

 _Thank you, thank you._

I smiled at her, but she simply stared back at me, before bowing. I narrowed my eyes a little at her warm orange aura, some sorts of sparks emanating from it.

"I am Inspector Tewaku. I will supervise your daily life from now on" she announced.

"Yeah, I kind of realized it" I sweatdropped. "The name is Aryane, even if you already know. Just call me Ary, though. Everyone does. Except Leverrier, of course, but I don't want him too, 'cause he's an asshole"

She grew a little colder at that.

"Please refrain from insulting _our_ superior so casually" she commanded. "Anything you say can, and will, be-"

"Held against me, I know, I know" I rolled my eyes. "But he already knows about my utter lack of respect for him, and the feelings are reciprocated, you can be sure of it. So really, I don't exactly care about that. How old are you, by the way?"

If she was surprised by the sudden change of direction in the conversation, she didn't show it, and we started walking.

"Fifteen" she informed curtly.

"Really? You seemed older" I admitted. "But as we say with the other Exorcists, there's no age for the worth, so I'm not all that surprised, in a way"

At my words, though, she seemed a little taken aback, probably waiting for an onslaught of disbelief.

"So, what do you like to do when you have free time?" I pursued.

"I… must admit, that I don't see how this is relevant" she answered, confusion lacing her bored tone. "Why would you want to know?"

"Why wouldn't I?" I replied with a smile. "You're my new friend, of course I want to learn about you!"

Instantly, she sent me a deadly gaze and straightened her spine.

"I am afraid you misunderstood our positions, Miss Aryane" she remarked. "I am merely here to report anything suspicious about you, and you are merely here to act as you always do. There is nothing more to our relationship than professional interest"

"But you see, if you want me acting like I always do, you'll have to deal with it" I retorted. "I make friends with everyone, sue me. You're not getting out of this one"

"We are not friends"

"Aw, I love you too, Doll!"

If glares could kill, I'd be dead by now.

 _Kanda would have killed you first, though._

 _Good point._

"My name is Tewaku"

"I always give nicknames to my friends"

"I am not your friend!" she insisted.

"The day will come when you'll change your mind" I shrugged. "I just have to wait"

"This day is not today" she seethed.

I grinned.

 _Hime… I seriously wonder about your sanity._

 _Denial is the first phase of acceptance, isn't it?_

 _I… don't think it really works that way…_

 _Well, Jerkface has yet to overcome it, but something tells me it'll all work out in the end. And she's funny too! And pretty. I want to braid her hair._

 _Well, why don't you ask her?_

My eyes brightened a little at that.

"Ne ne, Doll, can I braid your hair?"

 _Fucking hell, that was just a joke!_

 _Live with it._

Her glare turned to something between confusion, anger, and some sort of longing that however disapeared as fast as it came.

That made me smile.

"Come on!"

Without letting her time to answer, I took her hand and pulled her behind me.

Things were getting interesting.

* * *

"Tenshi!"

"Bookboy" I grinned.

He got off of his hammer and walked to me. Cupping my face in his callused hands, he kissed me for a moment, and I answered happily.

"I wanted to do that since this morning" he admitted, placing his forehead against mine.

"Same" I nodded with a slight smile. "Nice going with the code, by the way"

"You too. But 1:30 pm? Really?"

"It's the only moment I could think of when Doll wouldn't tail me" I shrugged, pulling away. "You wanted to talk about something or just make out?"

"Can't I have both?" he asked with a toothy grin.

"Depends. What do you want to talk about?" I asked curiously.

He distanced himself somewhat at that, and took a deep breath.

"It's not exactly talking… it's more like… well, I wanted to apologize" he admitted.

I frowned at the shame painting his features.

"What-"

"When we were in Road's world" he precised, shaking a little at the memory. "I tried to kill you, and I literally stabbed you, and… I'm sorry…"

"So?" I lifted an eyebrow, not really getting it. "You stabbed me, big deal. I stabbed myself too, if you don't remember"

"I didn't believe you when-"

"I would have skinned you if you did" I cut seriously. "You couldn't just believe me when I just appeared out of the blue like that. Hell, I wouldn't have believed myself either! Road played with your mind, _our_ minds, and none of us are to blame for that, okay?"

"You really are too kind sometimes, Tenshi" he sighed.

Smiling, I hugged him tightly against me, and he instantly returned the embrace, clearly more shaken up by the whole situation then he let on.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

He nuzzled my hair.

"… I killed them" he finally said, so low it was hard to hear it. "My position as a Bookman was put in question, and I had to keep killing everyone. I kept my eye closed, just slashing around, but it wasn't enough! I heard them scream but I kept killing them because I knew that it wasn't real, but it felt like it and it was just horrible… then, a fake Allen stabbed me, and if it wasn't for the fact that I stabbed myself at the same time, I would have lost myself. But when I woke up, you were there, and I couldn't stand her using you like that…"

"You don't have to explain" I assured. "Bookboy…"

I tried to pull away, but he kept hugging me, hiding his face in my hair. Frowning, I grabbed his face.

"Bookboy… Lavi, look at me, damn it!"

He finally did, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw the utter agony and confusion swirling in his single eye. I gently pressed my hand against his cheek, and he leaned into the touch.

"No matter what happens, you'll always be our friend, and I'll _always_ love you" I hammered. "What happened wasn't real. It'll never happen either. And you know how I know that? Because if I say it won't happen, then it won't"

He chuckled, somehow dryly.

"I was remembered of my place as a mere spectator in this nth war" he added. "That no matter what happened, I wasn't allowed to interfere. And we can say whatever we want, I know that now, with everything that happened… with you… I can't tell anymore, if I'd be able to just sit back and watch…"

"When the time comes, you'll make the good choice" I insisted. "I know you will, because I love you and I trust you, and it shouldn't take anything else to convince you"

He chuckled again, more at ease, and pecked my forehead.

"Love you too" he admitted.

I beamed at him, and squeezed his hand.

"Before finding you, I had to search for you" I remembered in a casual tone. "Road thought it fun to see me struggling against my very nature and kept killing all of you around me. You pleaded for my help, then died before I could save you. At first, I almost lost myself. Gab wasn't there at the time, so he couldn't snap me out of it, and if it hadn't been for Kiddo becoming a Point Breaker, then I would've have failed right then. After that, I just kept walking, never looking away from the path ahead of me despite the cries of our friends. Being alone, unable to do anything… I never knew it was so scary. But now I do, and it only made me stronger"

"You really amaze me sometimes, Tenshi" his smile was back.

"Oh, praises?" I batted my eyelashes in exaggerate gesture. "Please, I'm all ears"

That finally earned a laugh, and he kissed me again. After that, though, I pushed him gently away.

"I've got to go back now, I don't want to be caught" I pointed out. "I'll see you at breakfast"

His smile turned predatory and he leaned closer to me, his breath hitting my face and his lips hovering over mine without touching them.

"Are you sure you want to leave now?" he asked, his voice hoarse and…

 _Oh, that's getting hot._

 _Trickster!_

"Pervert!" I whacked the redhead's head.

He simply laughed and raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Fine, go away and leave me to the agony left by your denial!" he cried dramatically.

"Drama queen" I scoffed, spreading my wings.

"What, no good night kiss?" he joked.

I rolled my eyes, but turned to him anyway to peck him on the cheek. He turned at the last second and caught my lips with his. We made out for a few seconds, before the lack of air forced us to break apart.

Instantly, he grabbed his hammer and made it grow, before climbing on the hilt and blowing another kiss my way.

"'Night!"

And with that, the damn boy disappeared.

 _Just when it was getting good too._

 _I'm going to kill you._

 _You love me too much for that._

 _…_ _fine. But nothing's stopping me from torturing you. It'll be slow. And painful. Very painful._

He simply gulped.

* * *

 **Yeah, a new chapter! I really liked this one, because it gave some more Ary/Lavi fluff and because having her snapping at Leverrier like that is always fun to write -and read, I would believe.**

 **Question: What's your favorite nickname from our oh-so-dear Aryane yet? Jerkface? Kiddo? Bookboy? Jumper? Ego-complexed-Vatican's-bitch? Other?**

 **Reviews are love!**


	32. Be Yourself

**Okay so this chapter is shorter than the others, and also kind of a filler. However, I wanted -and needed- to do it for the sake of Ary and Tewaku's growing friendship. I always loved the blonde's character and honestly, I'm a hard shipper of TewaLink -no idea if it's the name but whatever. So, she gets some love too!**

 **Also, this chapter was quite... particular, to write. It might be a little weird or hard to understand, I tried my best to put things as clear as possible. But don't worry! I explained everything at the end of the chapter, just to be sure.**

 **Answer: I personally like Ego-Complexed-Vatican's-Bitch, but I also really like Bookboy, Buffy and Doll. Oh, and Link's nickname too, but you'll see that one later ;-)**

 **Also, thanks a bunch for th reviews!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Good morning, Doll!"

"The name's Tewaku!"

"Details, details. Want to grab something to eat? Good, I'm starving"

Seeing as she was kind of forced to follow me anyway, she dragged her feet after me, trying to keep a blank face. However, the little frown that kept coming and going indicated that she was all but cool with Leverrier's decision.

I feel so loved.

 _In a way, she mustn't be accustomed to other people being so open with her. I mean, she did kind of came with Leverrier._

 _True, true. I'm sure I can do something about it, though. We're still teenagers, and she seriously needs some girl time._

 _Don't invite Kanda, he'll kill you._

 _He's confused right now, but we'll accept him anyway._

 _You really got a death wish._

Entering the cafeteria, I instantly made my way to the counter, where Jeryy was cooking, as always.

"'Morning!"

"Ah, Ary!" he greeted, all smiles and cheers. "How's my favorite customer going?"

"Well, well" I assured. "So, I'll take the pancakes, with a dozen of eggs, five hash-browns, two plates of bacon, five toasts with peanut butter, around –what, twenty sausages?- yeah, twenty sausages, with mushrooms, a bowl of beans and a mug of hot chocolate"

"On it! And what about your friend?" he asked, already working on my breakfast.

She seemed on the verge of snapping at the word 'friend', then breathed out and put back her blank mask.

"Some porridge, please" she simply asked.

Two minutes later, we were sitting and I was enjoying my delicious breakfast. She was eating her own bowl without much enthusiasm, glancing at me with something akin of wonder, disgust and childish curiosity.

I swallowed, and smiled at her.

"Exorcists with parasitic-type Innocence like me or Allen Walker takes the very life energy of their Hosts to work" my voice made her jump, and there was a faint red on her cheeks, embarrassed to be caught staring. "Because of that, we have to eat a lot to keep our strength. If we don't have enough food, then it'll feed more thoroughly on us and deplete our life faster, plus rending us unable to use it properly"

"Deplete your life?" she repeated, confused.

I could see she already regretted to ask, but I've decided to let her be for now and tease her later. If I wanted her to open up somewhat, I'd have to take it slow.

"To put it simply, using my Innocence shortens my lifespan" I clarified. "I assume Leverrier told you about my 'revival'?"

She nodded her assent.

"Okay. So, when I still had _Angel_ , at the rate I was using it, I usually would have died around twenty-eight, more or less" I admitted.

Her eyes widened a little at that, and she opened her mouth to say something, before closing it.

"However, with _Archangel_ , I regained some of my life force due to it's regenerating abilities. Seeing as my synch rate is still getting stronger, it means I'm merging more and more with my Innocence. So, using logic, my cells are regenerating at a faster pace and usually, it would mean dying faster _but_ , it's Innocence. Its goal isn't to take its user's life. This creates some sort of balance in my body, which leads me to think that, with all variables included, I should be able to live to my forty or so" I told her, still smiling.

The girl bit her lower lip, before looking down at her bowl.

"Why… why are you okay with this?" she asked quietly.

"Uh?" I blinked, confused.

"Why are you smiling like that, talking about your inevitable death?" she precised, louder. "Why do you keep fighting if it means dying sooner? I mean, I know you don't really have a choice as an Exorcist, but shouldn't you try to find a way around it? Try to find a solution or- or-"

Her aura got more distressed, and I grabbed her hand. She snapped her eyes at me, and I could see the need to understand in them.

"I came at the Order on my own will. I fight, not because it's my job as an Exorcist, or because it's my destiny as the 'Protector and Savior', but because I want too. As an Host, I've been given the power and the opportunity to make a _difference_. I would never give that up for what people call a normal life, because protecting those I care about and making sure they live to see another day is what I do, and I won't stop, even if it means that my life is the price to pay for it" I explained gently.

"But-"

"If you had the chance to fight for those you love, would you take it?" I cut. "Would you be ready to sacrifice _anything_ for your friends and your family? Because being a part of the Black Order, not only as an Exorcist, a Finder, a scientist or an Inspector, that's what it means. It means we're doing what we're doing for those waiting for us to come home, for those unable to protect themselves, for the innocents outside who's lives are taken everyday by the evil of this world. Being a part of this organization is in itself a sacrifice, but to be able to use it as our strength, we have to take our chances and be ready to give up everything for our purpose. What's _yours_ , Tewaku? What's _your_ purpose?"

At my words, she grew even more distressed, though, and I understood that it was too much to ask from her. She already was in a difficult phase where she's finding herself, and pushing her around with these questions would only make her feel worse. She wasn't ready for this yet.

I squeezed her hand tighter.

"All I'm saying is that it's not that I don't care, far from it. But if I can give up my life for any of my friend, then I'll gladly take the jump without any sort of hesitation"

"Which she already did, by the way"

"Bookboy!"

The redhead sat next to me with his own tray, and ruffled my hair.

"Hey, Tenshi"

At his arrival, the Inspector put back her mask of polite indifference, and started eating again as if nothing happened and she didn't care about what I said.

Her aura said something different.

 _The poor girl._

 _Hey, it's not like I was harsh or anything!_

 _Hime, not everyone can assure as selflessly, recklessly and honestly as you that they're ready to die for their precious people. It might seems evident to you, but for others, it's not that easy. You have to be careful when you say things like that._

 _…_ _fine. I'll wait for her to bring it up again, then. But if someone else asks, I'll answer the damn same thing._

 _I know you will._

"So, any project for today?" asked Lavi.

"Actually, I was planning to pass the day with Doll here" I nodded at the blonde.

"The name's Tewaku"

"Of course, of course. Anyway, she's my new friend!" I grinned.

"I'm not" she refuted flatly.

"Just give up" Lavi shook his head her way. "She won't call you by your real name unless she's serious –which is really scary, by the way- and she considers everyone her friends"

"Leverrier isn't" I remarked. "The Noahs aren't too. Damn bastards"

"Okay, everyone except for those" he rolled his eyes.

The girl eyed the two of us, a glint of curiosity back in her eyes.

"Are you two together?"

We froze as she instantly turned a beet red and shook her head.

"I-I'm sorry! It wasn't- I'm not-" she spluttered.

Then, she apparently remembered that she couldn't just act like a girl her age and fall back into a professional mode.

She cleared her throat.

"I apologize, it wasn't my place to ask" she bowed her head.

"N-no, it's fine" I assured. "But Bookboy and I aren't together, nothing of the sort! Why'd you think that?"

I laughed, but even to me, it sounded nervous, and Lavi nudged me in the ribs.

"It's fine, people mistake us every time" he grinned reassuringly. "We're just good friends"

"Exactly" I confirmed, taking a sip of hot chocolate.

She nodded slowly, clearly not convinced, and I exchanged a nervous glance with Lavi, before trying to change the subject again.

"But anyway, you never did answer my question from yesterday" I pointed out.

"Which was?"

"What're your hobbies?" I placed my chin on my palm.

The girl sighed, giving in.

 _Stop harassing her, would you?_

 _No._

"I like… reading" she answered. "I don't have much time to do so, though"

"Reading?" I repeated, my smile widening. "What do you read?"

"And we lost her" grunted Lavi.

"Shut up!" I swatted his arm. "But seriously, what kind of books?"

"Well, mainly fantasy and adventure, or science-fiction, like _Dracula_ or _Frankenstein_ " she seemed more eager to talk now, more at ease.

"Really? I loved those two! Have you tried _Alice in Wonderland_ , by Lewis Carroll?"

"I did! A few times, actually, because I didn't get everything the first time around" she admitted. "I just loved the metaphors hidden between each pages!"

"Same! _Les Misérables_ by Victor Hugo were really good too, by the way"

"Never heard of it" she shook her head. "My personal favorite are _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ "

"Oh, I heard of it but I never had the time to read it" I remembered.

I then got up.

"Bookboy, I'll see you later. Come on, Doll! We've got a _lot_ to talk about!"

She blinked in surprise as I ran outside, then ran after me as Lavi's fond laugh echoed behind us.

* * *

"This… is amazing" she breathed out, gazing around with some sort of craving.

"I know, right? I thought I was about to collapse when I first came here" I laughed at the memory. "How about you check it out? I'm not moving from here, so you can as well enjoy your time and read something too"

Her eyes brightened at my words, and she instantly went to the nearest shelves to find something. Chuckling at her eagerness, I grabbed a few before handing her _Treasure Island_ and _The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales_. She eyed the titles curiously.

"They're both amazing" I assured.

She nodded, and I showed her the few _Sherlock Holmes_ I had managed to find.

"Which one should I read first?"

" _A Study in Scarlet"_ she instantly answered.

"Great"

I settled into one of the couches, and turned on the little lamp. She hesitated a moment, which made me roll my eyes.

"Doll, your mission is to follow me everywhere and to report any sort of suspicious activity, right? Seeing as I'm here, you're not going to move for a while, and reading won't kill any of us. Just sit and enjoy while you can"

The teenager bit her lower lip, glanced at the two stories in her hands, and all doubts disappeared before she sat in front of me, turning the first page with intense concentration.

I smiled, before plunging into the life of Sherlock Holmes.

* * *

A week passed that way. We ate breakfast –Kiddo was nowhere to be found, though-, I managed some secret meetings with Lavi for when night came, and we then went to the library to pass the rest of the day.

I had managed to see Jumper a few times, and crossed paths with Sokaro Marshall once –he started snickering as soon as he spotted me-, but other than that, I hadn't even heard of Leverrier or even Komui. I wasn't allowed to leave Headquarters either, so that left place for some free-time that I never even considered having before.

It wasn't that bad, but it made me jumpy.

Tewaku was really sweet. If we didn't talked about our positions as members of the Black Order, things went smoothly and I even managed to strike up a few very interesting conversations. After a few failures, I got her to open up somewhat and learned that she had an older brother still working at the Central, and that she was friend with the blond dude that had to watch Allen. She didn't know he was here, though.

It was also very easy to see how affectingly dependent she was.

 _These sorts of bonds can be dangerous._

 _It can also make her stronger, though._

 _Strong feelings for those around make you stronger, yes, but if it is the bonds that are controlling you, than they are a weakness easy to exploit._

 _Feeling dark much?_

 _Just a bad feeling, don't mind me._

I put down my book at the same time as she did.

"Reading is fun and all, but I have to concentrate on something else" I admitted, rubbing my temples. "The words are becoming fuzzy"

"Same" she agreed. "Where do you want to go?"

"How about you tell me where _you_ want to go?" I proposed. "What else do you do in your free time?"

"Well, I train with my brother or one of my friends" she shrugged.

"Then let's go, I've got to move my ass a little" I stretched.

She smiled at my words, but I didn't make any comment. The girl was barely starting to open up, no need to break her now.

 _Plus, I'd feel bad._

 _You really are too kind, sometimes._

 _There's nothing as too much kindness. I think._

* * *

"So, I want to make some things clear" I announced, putting on my gloves. "I-"

"Don't go easy on me" she warned seriously. "I might be younger or not be an Exorcist, but I know how to fight"

"I wasn't about to say that" I scratched the back of my head. "Actually, it's quite the other way around. You see, I might be an Exorcist, and I have my basics when it comes to one-on-one battles. I'm not bad, really. However, my Innocence is more of a defensive and long-ranged attacks type, so I'm not that good either"

"An Exorcist who doesn't know how to fight?" she sneered a little.

"You seem to overestimate us" I sighed. "We're no Gods, Doll. We're humans too, and even if we have more power than most, we can't excel at everything"

Her sneer turned to a sheepish apology.

"Sorry"

"It's fine" I smiled. "So, don't go easy on me. It'd be humiliating, and I'd rather be beaten to a pulp"

"Then we're on the same length of thoughts" she replied, falling into stance.

I mimicked her, somehow knowing I wouldn't get out of here unscathed.

* * *

I landed on the mattress in a harsh 'THUD'.

Again.

"Damn it" I grunted, getting up. "You're really good…"

"My brother's better" she however blushed slightly at the praise. "And you're not as bad as you made yourself to be. You've got a few good kicks"

"Trust me, if it wasn't for my healing abilities, I wouldn't be able to stand up right now" I assured, coughing a little. "And don't lower your own abilities like that. It's not that your brother is better, but because he has more experience. You're an amazing fighter and if you dare say otherwise, then I'll seriously punch you because that would mean I'm more of a larvae than anything else, seeing as you keep kicking my ass"

She snorted at that, and instantly placed her hand on her mouth, embarrassed.

"Don't act like that" I snickered. "There ain't no ladies here. By the way, I got a question"

"What is it?" she replied, rolling her shoulders.

"Why do you keep doing this?" I asked. "I mean, sometimes you act like yourself, but you instantly try to cover it up by some sort of robotic-like façade. Why do you do it?"

"I don't see what you're talking about" she replied smoothly.

"There!" I pointed a finger at her. "You just did it! One moment you're all snorts and giggles, and the other you're a professional ice-cube!"

She actually frowned at that, and seemed about to protest, but I didn't leave her the time to do so.

"I know you have to act your part as Inspector" I assured. "But that's around Leverrier. Around me, you can be yourself, I won't mind. What I _do_ mind is when you try to fit in a mold too narrow for you. You're a teenager for fuck's sake! I don't care if you're here to investigate or whatever! Act your age, _live_ , somehow"

"Like _you_?" she finally snapped, eyes blazing. "Never caring about anything, always smiling despite everything as if you had just that to do! Not everyone can have your powers and fight for what they believe in! Not everyone is able to actually make a difference, but we try anyway! _I_ try anyway! So no, I'm not acting my age because if I do, then it would mean letting go of the only chance I have to do my part in this stupid war!"

I sat on the bench as she finished her tirade, panting from her anger.

"The only thing changing with you acting that way is… well, yourself" I pointed out. "I'm not saying to act like me. I'm not a role model, and I never will be. However, I make _my_ difference while being myself, and that makes me happy. If you're not happy, then what's the point? You can hide yourself behind the others all you want but, sometimes, you can't save everyone. Sometimes, you can only save one person. And you know what else? It's alright if that person is _you"_

"What the hell are you ranting on about!? It doesn't make any sense!"

"What I'm trying to say is that you can't always live for the others" I insisted seriously. "Acting that way is nice and all, but you're not _you_. And when you're not yourself, that takes away all the purpose you might have to fight. What are you here for, Tewaku? I asked once, and I'll ask it again: what is _your_ purpose?"

She stilled at my words, still angry.

"My brother and my _real_ friends!" she answered harshly.

"Is what you'd like to say" I hummed. "The truth is, you're selfish. You're an egoistical girl who thinks that hiding behind grand names and her brother's back will make the difference for her. The thing is, it doesn't work that way. You joined because you needed them, not even to protect them, but because you couldn't fucking let them go! And that makes you _weak"_

She snarled at me, and tried to punch me. I deflected the blow rather easily.

"When the time comes, what will you do? When the moment of choosing between yourself or them, what will you choose?" I pursued coldly. "The truth is that when the real danger comes, and death looms over you, you'll call. You won't fight, just call for help and hope everything will arrange itself"

"Shut up!"

She tried to kick me, but I grabbed her foot and pushed her aside.

"If your brother is in danger, you'll try once, maybe twice, but then break down crying for someone to do something" I seethed between my teeth. "But flash news, sweetheart! There are no miracles, and the corpse will hit the floor covered in blood and tears as you keep screaming for a justice that won't ever come. Poor wittle Tewaku, all alone in this dark, dark, world. We'll say it isn't fair, we'll blame the evil, but the truth would be that you were just too weak willed to do it yourself!"

The girl shrieked and managed to hit me at the throat. Doubling in pain, I collapsed to the floor while coughing harshly.

"I'm not… I'm not…" she struggled.

I could see her eyes water, and she fall on her knees, shaking. I slowly sat, rubbing my sore throat, and we stayed silent for a few minutes.

"What the hell… was that about?" she then asked quietly.

"All I'm trying to say is that you lack a purpose, a real one, for being here" I said more gently. "Those with selfish purposes don't last long in this Order. You act that way by trying to be someone you're not. When you try to be someone you're not, that means you can't find the goal you really strive for and your true potential stays hidden"

Silence ensued as she took deep breaths to calm herself, and the pain in my throat disappeared.

 _You deserved that one, though._

 _That I did._

"What were you… trying to prove?" I realized she was actually crying.

"I was just trying to show you what really was going on" I admitted. "Have you heard about my 'revival'?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, puzzled and still crying.

"When I first joined the Order, I convinced myself into believing it was for honoring my family's memory and all of those who died for our cause. I convinced myself I'd do anything to save those precious to me. As time passed, though, I started to comply myself in not being able to save them and gave up before even trying. I lied to myself, saying I'd do anything for my friends but the truth was that I didn't even believe I'd be able to protect them anymore. I strove from my path, dive head first into danger not because I cared for them, but because I couldn't think of anything else to get rid of the guilt that was eating me away little by little"

"But what-"

"I almost died!" I snapped. "Forgetting my true nature sent me on my death bed, and if I hadn't realize my mistake in time, I'd be _dead_ by now, a fucking corpse among too many others! Selfish purposes leads only to hurt and death, there is no other way"

The tears kept streaming down her face, but some sort of understanding crept into her watery gaze.

"You were trying… to protect me… from myself…" she realized.

"You're a strong girl, soon-to-be woman, Doll" I smiled softly, pushing strands of her hair aside. "But as long as you delude yourself into becoming someone you're not, it'll endanger the others, yes, but more importantly yourself"

"Then what should I do?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"As I said sooner, be yourself" I shrugged. "Not around Leverrier, 'cause he's an ass, but with your brother, your friends… me too. Finding yourself is finding your true strength. The path will seem clearer, and when you do find it, you'll understand better what I'm trying to say"

She breathed a few times, and the tears finally stopped falling as she sat straighter.

"I… understand" she finally said. "… thank you"

"No problem" I waved my hand as if swatting a fly. "Do you-"

"Will you help me?" she cut, still shaken up. "Will you help me… find my way?"

I beamed and patted her head.

"Of course" I accepted. "What are friends for?"

She hesitantly smiled back, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest.

 _Hime? What is it?_

 _She didn't deny it. Told ya it'd work out!_

 _Moron._

* * *

 **So, that was kind of weird, I'll admit. However, I find it incredibly important. I wanted Ary and Tewaku to get close on a certain level, like some sort of siblings or something of the likes. And, what better for that than some angst, anger and shouting?**

 **I think it wasn't that complicated, now that I read it again, but let's put it this way: Link is always so uptight and never listens to what his heart -or conscience, or whatever you want to call it- says. He obeys his orders because he passed so many years doing so and, while I think we can agree that his mission to watch Allen changed him somewhat, it didn't fully work and he still is Leverrier's dog.**

 **If any of you haven't read the manga but saw Hallow, then I'm sorry for the spoiler: Link's still alive.**

 **Okay, now, what does Tewaky has to do with this? Well, she was raised in more or less the same evironnment as Link and the others but, being younger, the boys always protected her somewhat and she passed less time under Central's influence. In a phase in which she's still searching herself -teenager-, she's bound to question more about her existence, the Black Order and all what she's striving for. Ary saw that and tried to make her understand that she had, in fact, a choice. It's a lot of shades and whatnot, but the point is: she won't end up like Link, or at least not as much. That was really the whole point of this chapter.**

 **Also, all the books mentionned in this chapter and all those to come are real books, obviously, which have been written in the nineties. Otherwise said, the time period in which happens -Man.**

 **Question: Was it confusing? If so, don't hesitate to ask for more clarifications.**

 **Reviews!**


	33. The Cat's After The Egg

**I think I'm going to work like this: as long as I get a review or more each chapter, I'll update one day/one chapter. How does that sound? Well, I think I've been doing this for a while, but I just want to make this official and all.**

 **Answer: Apparently, it wasn't. Glad I was clear!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

I gritted my teeth as the whispers became louder.

Tewaku shot me a look.

After a few more seconds, I couldn't take it anymore.

"That's enough!" I exclaimed, hitting my hands on the table.

My cry gained the attention of the rest of the Finders, Exorcists and scientists present.

"Allen Walker is not a traitor!" I pursued with the same tone. "He is a fellow Exorcist, a friend! The Noahs tried to kill him more than once, and he would never betray us, so get that into your thick skulls before I bash it in myself: t _here is no traitor in our ranks!"_

I huffed angrily, and gazed around with a cold look that made more than a few shiver.

"You should all be ashamed or yourselves for even doubting" I concluded icily.

They all looked down at that but, unable to take the stares for once, I left without looking back.

* * *

After around two minutes, I cringed, and turned to the girl, who had followed without a word.

"Sorry about that" I sighed. "Were you finished? We can go back and-"

"I'm not hungry" she shook her head.

"But you've got questions" I pointed out. "Shoot"

"Why are you so eager to defend Walker?" she instantly asked. "He's the legacy of the Fourteenth, is he not?"

"He is" I confirmed. "But you have to understand him before understanding my reasoning. Right now, he's as confused as everyone, and even more scared, even if he doesn't show it. Things are going too fast for him. I know he won't betray us because Allen Walker and the Fourteenth are two different persons. He's already afraid of himself enough, if the rest of the Order starts to doubt him, then everything will break apart. There is no place for doubts in our family"

"Family, eh?" she allowed a small smile. "Do you really feel like that about this place?"

"I do" I smiled too. "Headquarters is my home, and everyone here is my family!"

"That's nice"

And I could tell she was honest.

* * *

Another week had gone by, agonizingly slowly with that. Everyone was still under heavy medical care, so I couldn't see them around that much. As told, I met with Hevlaska to check up on my synch rate –now 90,22%- and Tewaku was, obviously, still around.

She actually listened to me since our heart to heart, and I could clearly see the efforts she made in trying to find her own path, therefore being herself. Of course, she fell back into her professional stance each time someone else was close by, but she started being more at ease with Lavi, seeing as he was always around.

 _Ne, ne, Trickster. You've been unusually silent for a while._

 _I'm just worried. Something's going to happen._

 _Here?_

 _I'm afraid so._

 _Well, the air does feel heavier today… I'll be on guard, then._

 _You do that._

I passed my arm around her shoulders. At my greatest joy, she was still a little shorter than me –the same height as Lenalee, I'd say- so I could lean over her without having to get on my toes.

"Want to see Cupcake?" I proposed with a smirk.

She snickered at the name, and my smirk widened at the memory.

* * *

 _"_ _Oi, Kiddo!"_

 _"_ _Stop calling me that" he groaned._

 _Chuckling, I sat in front of him as he banged his head on the table._

 _"_ _It's been a while" I remarked. "Feeling alright?"_

 _"_ _I'm still confused" he admitted quietly. "Kind of scared too"_

 _"_ _I'd be worried if you said otherwise" I scoffed. "How's it going with blondie?"_

 _"_ _Blondie?" he blinked. "You mean Link?"_

 _"_ _Yeah"_

 _"_ _He's… alright. Very sticky to rules and protocols, but he doesn't interfere or anything. He's just like some sort of leech-y shadow or something" he scrunched his nose. "What about you?"_

 _"_ _Oh, Doll's a real sweetheart" I grinned. "She's really nice, and she's my friend too!"_

 _There was a huff as the blond girl sat next to me, making my grin wider, and I nudged her in the ribs._

 _"_ _That's Allen Walker, but I call him Kiddo" I informed her._

 _"_ _Pleasure" she said in a clipped tone._

 _"…_ _same?"_

 _Link stopped at the end of the table, wide eyes._

 _"_ _T-Tewaku?"_

 _"_ _Howard!"_

 _The two Inspectors stared at each other for a moment, surprise. Apparently, none of them was aware that they were both in the vicinity. Then, his eyes landed on me, and his traits turned to something akin to understanding and fear._

 _Feeling kind of bad, I got up, and bowed._

 _"_ _I wanted to apologize for our last encounter" I said seriously. "I vented my anger on you without reason, and I am truly sorry for my behavior"_

 _He nodded slowly, apparently still unsure about what to do or say, and the other two simply looked confused at our exchange._ _Feeling happy again, I started eating. After a few seconds of silence, I glanced at the two Inspectors._

 _"_ _You know, you don't have to act like complete strangers" I remarked, slurping my noodles. "You're friends, don't you have things to say to each other or something?"_

 _"_ _We can't leave the both of you" pointed out Link._

 _"_ _Then don't. We won't listen. Hey, Kiddo! I never heard about your first mission as an official Exorcist. Tell me"_

 _Tewaku shot me a grateful look, and engaged in a low toned conversation with the blond as the white-haired teen just decided to roll with it._

 _After around ten minutes, it was time to go for my meeting with Hevlaska, though._

 _"_ _Well, we'll see you around" I waved._

 _"_ _Wait!"_

 _At Link's voice, I turned to him in curiosity, and he held out a box to me with a formal air. I opened it, and my eyes widened at the sight of the pastries._

 _"_ _Please, accept this as my own apology for interfering" he bowed._

 _"_ _Aw, thanks!" I grinned. "They look delicious!"_

 _"_ _We have to go" Tewaku cut in._

 _"_ _Fine, fine. Have a nice day Kiddo, Cupcake!"_

 _The blond took a few seconds to realize it was him I was talking too, and he spluttered out an incoherent answer._

 _Kiddo simply snickered, and the girl burst in laughter as soon as we were out of hearing range._

* * *

"So? Up for a morning visit?" I insisted.

"Sure. You know where they are?" she asked.

"That I do"

* * *

"Wait, Ary, I don't think that's-"

"'Morning sunshines!" I exclaimed, slamming the door open.

There were two surprised and very unmanly squeaks as I made my way in the bathroom, Tewaku hesitantly following behind.

"A-Ary!" protested Allen. "W-what are you doing here? You can't just waltz into the _guy's bathroom!"_

I blinked.

"I just did"

He banged his head on the sink as Link seemed offended and embarrassed by my obvious lack or respect for these sort of unwritten rules.

"Good morning, Allen, Two Spots, Ary, Tewaku…" greeted Lavi, entering without a second glance at us.

Ji-ji came in right after, spared me an exasperated glance. The redhead took out his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth. A few seconds later, his eyes widened and he spat everything in the sink, before turning to us.

"Hey, Bookboy" I made the peace sign.

"T-Tenshi!? Tewaku!? The hell are you doing here!?" he coughed some water.

"We just came by to say hello to Kiddo and Cupcake" I shrugged.

Instantly, he glanced at Link with a smirk.

"Cupcake?"

"H-how rude!" frowned the poor boy.

"Link, let it go" Allen shook his head with a smile. "Ary's still a kid, so she likes to give others stupid nicknames and ignores the meaning of 'social decency'"

"Oi! I'm older than you!" I stomped my foot.

"But I'm taller"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

* * *

"Entrance prohibited to all but the science division" read Allen.

Having nothing better to do, we've decided to go check out the Akuma Egg along with Lavi, Kiddo and his eternal shadow.

I eyed the Egg with disgust, pushing my aura away from it's own as far as I could.

It _reeked_ Dark Matter.

"Good morning, guys" greeted Reever, on the other side of the barrier. "We're going to start unraveling it's secrets now"

"After two weeks?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We needed the go from Central" he shrugged.

"You should forget that and fix my Innocence" whined Lavi.

"Well, we've got others of these requests, you know" the scientist scratched the back of his head. "For now, we need to focus on this, though. This is an incredible chance to find out more about the Akumas. Once we understand this thing, we might uncover a way to end this long war with the Earl. That's the hope I see"

"And that's the stupidest thing I ever heard" I frowned, turning serious. "The hell do you think you're doing? The Millennium Earl ain't crazy. He's more than probably preparing something to get it back. We have to destroy it while we can, not _study_ it for what is more than probably a snooze"

He just shook his head.

"We can't do that right now. Plus, he won't risk attacking Headquarters. He never did before, right?"

"Because he didn't have a reason too" I insisted, growing more worried. "I'm going to talk to Boss. Doll, let's go!"

"H-hai!"

* * *

"God fucking damn it all to hell…" I grumbled. "We looked _everywhere_ and not a single fucking clue!"

"Calm down, Ary" Tewaku shook her head. "He might have went to Hevlaska, or might be in a secret meeting with the rest of the Heads"

"There isn't" I assured.

"And how would you know that?" she crossed her arms.

"Because I always know" I replied with a smirk. "Didn't Leverrier told you? I'm always where I'm not supposed to be. Why do you think I agreed to this investigation in the first place? I didn't have much of a choice, and I tried to protect Allen along the way. The truth is, I would more than probably have been forced into it anyway"

"Howard did said something about you crashing into a secret meeting he was attending with Inspector Leverrier" she nodded. "You called him, and I say from memory, an 'ego-complexed-Vatican's-bitch', right?"

"That I did" I confirmed.

 _You're too proud of this._

 _Trickster, don't try. You're damn proud too._

 _Damn straight I am._

 **"** **Intruder alert!"**

We both snapped our eyes to the little Golem that kept following us around.

 **"** **To all Exorcists and members currently within the Order: Akumas have infiltrated the fifth lab. Two Exorcists are currently present at the scene. All Marshalls and the following Exorcists should proceed immediately to the Ark's third gate: Noise Marie, Miranda Lotto, Aryane Darkelston. Please proceed to the third gate"**

"Fucking knew it" I grunted. "Come on!"

"Let's hurry!"

We started running.

 _Told ya._

 _This isn't going to end well._

* * *

When we arrived to the third gate, everyone was already there, except for Komui and the Marshalls. Leverrier signed for Tewaku to join him, and I turned to Marie and Miranda.

"What exactly is happening?" I asked in a tone that accepted no silence.

"The Fifth Lab is currently under the power of several Akumas" informed the same woman that had used the Golems to alert us. "Exorcists Allen Walker and Bookman are currently fighting them off. There are many injured scientists, some already dead"

I clenched my fist. It was no time to complain to Komui for this idiocy right now.

"Be careful!" ordered the Boss's voice. "Do it swiftly, accurately and carefully!"

He arrived next to a scientist.

"Please confirm this" he handed some papers.

"Hai!"

"That's quite the delayed arrival for someone who should be taking command" remarked Leverrier.

"Apologies. I had work to attend to that couldn't be avoided" he said uncaringly.

His aura was uneasy and hazy, though. Leverrier's sharpened as the blonde came back to me, her mood darker and her own aura agitated.

"Regarding Lenalee, correct?"

I stiffened at her name. Why was he bringing her up? Her, Lavi and Kanda weren't in fighting shape anyway.

"Where is she?" added the Inspector.

"She is currently on standby with Lavi in the medical wing" he answered.

But his aura was even worse now.

"Standby, you say?"

"In the midst of this Akuma invasion, there is nothing Exorcists who have lost their Innocence can do" answered smoothly the supervisor.

"I suppose you are correct" nodded Leverrier. "And if things take a turn for the worse?"

"Leverrier, if you have something to say, just say it" I said coldly. "This is no time for stupid hidden remarks"

The doors slammed open at that moment.

"Komui! What's the situation?" Kanda suddenly entered the room.

"What are you doing here?" sighed the Boss. "You should be on standby, shouldn't you?"

"What kind of bullshit is that?" the he-she samurai snapped.

"Yours, mainly" I retorted. "Jerkface, you won't be of any help to us without you Innocence. You'd just be a hindrance!"

"The hell, Akahato?" he snarled my way.

"Without _Mugen_ , you'll be the first to die out there, and we don't need any more corpses than we already have!" I hammered harshly. "So you're going on standby, sit on your fucking ass, and wait for us to handle the situation!"

He glared at me, than scoffed and ran outside.

"Kanda!" called Marie.

"Wait" Komui shook his head. "You three can still do something"

"Of course we can" I rolled my eyes. "What's the plan, Boss?"

* * *

"Now!"

Without wasting any more time, we jumped through the gate.

Running down a few streets, we then found the new door, and jumped out as I spread my wings.

"Time Record: activate!" chanted Miranda, sitting onto Marie's shoulder. "Target's encircled: _reversing time!_ "

As the Egg started going back up again, I plunged and grabbed Allen's shoulders, before pulling him out of the portal and posing us on the normal floor.

"A-Ary!" his eyes widened in relief.

"Yo" I grinned. "Still up for a fight?"

"O-of course!"

"The Ark's a pretty sweet ride, boy"

The Marshalls were all standing on top of the Egg, now. Cross had spoken.

"Now, what do we have here? I hope you weren't planning on fleeing, my demonic friends" remarked Sokaro.

At the same time, though, one of those gigantic Akumas that I remembered from Lavi's stories about Edo appeared out of fricking nowhere.

"You just had to fucking jinx us, didn't you, Zombie-dude?" I yelled, annoyed.

"What, scared, Little Girl?" he taunted.

"Not even close! But annoyed? That's for sure" I replied, spreading my wings once again.

He started laughing, earning the interest of the demonic beast.

"Looks like I've hit the jackpot today, eh?" he remarked. "Any objections to me taking the first shot?"

"I don't mind" shrugged Klaud.

"Go at it" nodded Tiedoll.

"I'm only interested in women" Cross took a smoke.

"Not a single taker? What a boring group we have here" he sighed.

"Ne ne, Zombie-dude!" I called once again. "If I leave the big guy to you, can I have the first blow?"

"Deal!"

"Sweet" I grinned.

 _Trickster, let's go and be amazing!_

 _Ready when you are, Hime._

"Feathered Blades!"

The steeled feathers flew all around, piercing through the Akumas surrounding us. Around twenty of them exploded.

"Not bad, Little Girl" nodded Sokaro. "But let me show you how it's really done"

He then jumped from the Egg to face the Giant, weird metal bracelets with spikes moving onto his arms.

 _His Innocence is downright chaotic._

 _I like him, though. He's funny._

 _Of course you'd like him, he's as reckless as you._

"Torture, torture, torture!" he suddenly yelled. " _Madness_!"

A sort of sword formed into his hands and he passed straight through the head, which exploded as he landed on the ground in a fit of maniacal laughter. I landed next to him, eying his masterpiece.

"It's… alright" I admitted. "Could have been flashier, though"

"What, like that?" he asked.

Then, he took of his mask, revealing two completely white eyes, a very dark skin, elves ears –and I'm not kidding- and many scars on his face.

I blinked at the sudden sight as he grinned at me, showing off his shark-like teeth, and I then beamed at him.

"You're pretty!"

 _You're really, really, freaking me out._

 _But he's pretty! Not in a Kanda-way, but in Sith-Lord-who's-about-to-turn-batshit-crazy-way!_

 _…_

 _I feel so alone right now._

 _I'm telling Lavi._

 _Shut up!_

A very unique silence ensued as all eyes turned to me in confusion and stun. He blinked at me, before barking a laugh.

"Wow, that's a first one" he wiped out a nonexistent tear.

"Ary, so not the time!" exclaimed Allen from somewhere behind.

I then remarked other Giants getting out of what seemed to be another gate.

"Fine, fine" I rolled my eyes. "Geez, I'm so underappreciated"

"Oi, don't die here, Little Girl" grinned Sokaro, patting my head.

"Same to you, Zombie-dude, same to you. And with that… _Spin Rocket!_ "

* * *

I pierced through the heads of two of the Giants, and I grinned when I landed back on a platform as they exploded behind me.

 _This is awesome. We really are getting stronger!_

 _Stay alert, Hime._

 _Why? What else is there?_

 _The scientists…_

 _Tiedoll-sensei got them. He's got a better defense than I do. For now, I can only help out as much as I can._

 _But there's something else… I can't tell what…_

 _We'll find out, don't worry too much._

 _…_ _right._

I destroyed a few more of the Akumas, before going under Tiedoll's defense to get Cross to do some work too.

Yes, I'm still mad at him. Sue me.

"Hm, not bad" shot Cross to Klaud.

"You should do a little work too" she remarked.

"Work, uh?" he sighed. "My least favorite word"

"You want to be whipped?" she threatened, cracking her whip.

"Ah, not a bad idea! I'd much rather spend my time with a fine woman than fight a bloody battle"

"Otherwise said, he's too weak and lazy to do his damn job for once so he let the others do it, as usual" I resumed, waltzing in. "I like your monkey, by the way. Really cute"

The woman blinked at me –they seemed to do that quite a lot- and I turned at Cross with an heavy glare.

"Out" I ordered. "Now. Or I'm kneeing you again, and I'll take your stupid pride along with your fucking balls"

"Fine, fine" he rolled his eyes, walking out.

But neither Klaud nor I missed the little gulp of fright. Now happy, I started checking up on the different scientists lying on the ground.

"Are you not going to battle again?" asked Klaud, more curious than offended.

"That would be overkill" I shrugged. "And these men needs more attention right now"

 _More like you want to keep your energy for whatever's coming. Have I worried you that much, Hime?_

 _You weren't exactly reassuring either, Trickster. Plus, my guts are twisting really badly. There's a Noah here, and something else. I can feel it._

 _Which Noah?_

I concentrated on the different auras around, keeping clear from the Akuma's –those were disgusting, really- and I finally found what I was looking for.

 _I've never felt that one before, but the only known N-Noah that I haven't m-met while being able to sense a-aur-a-a-a-_

"'Tchi!"

Fuck my life.

* * *

As everyone gathered around the Egg, the Akumas all destroyed, I went to the blond woman.

"Klaud-san!" I called, worried. "There's a –'tchi!- a Noah here! H-her –'tchi!- her name's Lu –'tchi!- Lulubell, and she c-can s-s-s- 'tchi!- shapeshift or something l-like t-t- 'tchi!- that!"

"How do you know that?" she frowned.

"I j- 'tchi!- I just d-d- 'tchi!- do!" I snapped, rubbing my nose. "Damn allergies… she c- 'tchi!- can turn into a-a-a- 'tchi!- a cat, and I'm -'tchi!- allergic to c-cats! Fuck!"

"I don't know whether to laugh or pity you" remarked flatly Sokaro.

"S- 'tchi!- shut up, Z-Z-Zombie-dude –'tchi!"

"We have to act fast then" remarked Cross. "The only way to destroy it is for all of us to attack it simultaneously. However, this thing's made of Dark Matter. I can't guarantee our success"

He waited for Komui's order, before nodding to Miranda.

"We're good to go, Miranda" he assured.

"H-hai"

She turned to face the Egg and, at the same time, Lulubell's aura became more active. My eyes widened.

"Get away!"

I tried to move, but was sent crashing into the nearest wall. There were a few gasps of surprise, but they reacted too late, and Miranda was caught in Lulubell's new form.

"The hell is that? Is it alive?" asked Sokaro.

"That's –'tchi!'- that's the Noah" I informed, getting out of the rubbles.

The floating liquid embraced the Egg, Miranda still trapped inside, and took the form of a woman.

"I will be taking my Master's Egg" she informed in a faraway voice.

"A –'tchi!- as if!" I spat.

"As for you…"

I barely avoided a few of her watery tentacles as the Egg started sinking back into the portal, Miranda unconscious and thus unable to keep her Innocence activated.

"My Master desires to speak with you" she informed plainly, attacking again.

"He made h-h- 'tchi!- his mind before or a-after piercing m- 'tchi!- me like a f-fucking brochette –'tchi!-?" I exclaimed, jumping in time to avoid it.

"Any resistance is futile"

"Yet you –'tchi!- still ha- 'tchi!- haven't catch m-me!" I replied.

At the same time, though, one of the tentacles grabbed me by the ankle and dragged me back, head downside, to everyone.

"Fucking –'tchi!- jinxed it" I grunted. "A l- 'tchi!- a little help here?"

"You're doing just fine, Ary" informed Cross witha lazy smirk.

"Go t- 'tchi!- to hell ya s-s-s- 'tchi!- stupid womanizer!" I cursed.

And then, I was falling.

Everything turned black…

* * *

…For about three seconds.

I landed on the other side of the gate and instantly got back on my feet, ready to jump back inside.

Bad call.

Something grabbed me by behind and I was lifted in the air, wings, arms and legs retrained by five Level Three Akumas.

I then realized I wasn't sneezing anymore.

 _Hime, not the time._

 _Sorry._

The Earl appeared before me.

"Good morning, Aryane" he greeted.

"I'd say I'm glad to see you and all, but I'm really not in the mood for fake pleasantries right now" I struggled, in vain. "The hell do you want? I don't know where the Heart is, alright?"

"Oh, you do" he refuted. "You're just not conscious of it"

"… what do you mean?"

"You know where the Heart is, unconsciously" he repeated. "The information is there, just in a hidden corner of your mind. And do you know why? Because your dear Angel is the one who hid it in the first place"

"W-what?"

 _Hime, I'll explain later. Just try to get out for now._

 _I hope you have a really good explanation._

 _I do._

I tried to free myself again, but the Akumas' grips only tightened.

"Road can't get in, though, and your other mind-rapist isn't there yet. You won't get the information one way or another, sure you don't want to kill me?" I drawled. "Where's the next spear, hm?"

"I didn't want to risk you falling back into their hands and give them this important information, but it would seem you aren't close enough to get back the memories as of yet" he remarked. "How's Gabriel going?"

 _Tell him he's an asshole._

"He's calling you an asshole" I repeated.

That only earned a small chuckled.

"Ah, still the same as ever, eh, little Gaby?"

 _I want to punch him._

"He wants to punch you" I informed casually. "So… what's going to happen now?"

"Well, glad that you asked" his eternal grin only seemed to widen. "You see, we're about too-"

He was cut by a gigantic explosion. Using the momentum, I managed to free myself and decapitate three of the Akumas holding me, and used _Shield_ to project the other two farther away. Then, I darted at the gate and, not even having the time to hesitate, jumped back inside just before it closed. I kept going straight ahead as fast as I could, my movement slowed down by the sort of liquid all around me.

There was a flash of light as a debris hit my right wing. I cringed at the sudden pain, understanding it was pure Dark Matter that had caused the wound and broke through my defense so easily.

 _Ary, use Spin Rocket now or you won't make it!_

 _Got it!_

Taking all I had left of air, I managed to articulate the words and propelled myself at the faint light I could see diminishing just a few meters ahead of me.

* * *

In one last burst, I passed through just before it completely closed, and landed harshly on the floor, coughing my lungs out.

"Ary!" exclaimed Allen.

"Still alive, still alive" I croaked out, wheezing. "Damn it…"

"The hell happened to you, Little Girl? Chickened out?" taunted Sokaro from somewhere around.

"The fucking Earl happened" I deadpanned, getting into a sitting position. "Is Mira-chan alright?"

"She'll be fine" affirmed Marie, placing an hand on my shoulder. "Your wing is injured"

"No shit"

Bringing it to my eye level, I saw a fucking hole through it, shredded all around and a few of my feathers falling on the ground. The outline of the hole seemed to rot, much like when I was still with _Angel_.

 _Can you heal it?_

 _Give me a moment, I'll work as fast as I can._

 _I'll hold you to that. There's still something else, though._

 _I know._

"We have to stay alert" I warned, getting up. "There's something else coming"

"This is getting ridiculous" frowned Klaud. "You better have a good explanation for all of this, Exorcist. Knowing things you shouldn't and being specifically targeted by the Millennium Earl isn't something to take lightly"

"Cross knows, if it can help" I shrugged.

He actually glared at me at that, not liking the renewed attention, and I glared back.

That's for not saving me, bastard.

 _You are quite vindictive._

 _I'm in a bad mood._

And then, the air became ice and I nearly threw up right there and then.

This aura…

It was dark, malicious, craved for the blood and the screams. Sweat broke over my whole body and my instincts screamed for me to run and hide.

I started shaking.

* * *

 **Waaa! Officially entering the Level Four Arc -still don't know the official names, but whatever. Also, the synch rate for Ary's Innocence evolves very specifically. I don't remember the calculations I did, but there's a mathematical reason behind it, not just some crap I spat out.**

 **Question: Can any of you guess at what rate her synchronisation is, like percentage/month?**

 **Reviews are so much love!**


	34. A Level Four Absolute Jerk

**Here's a new chapter, as promised, since I got a review from Leahcar-chan!**

 **PS: I don't like numbers too. They're so... eesh.**

 **Answer: I don't remember, but I think it was somewhere around 0,2% a day or something... or not. I'm really not sure.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Snap out of it!_

I instantly retreated my own aura, which allowed me to breath easier. Still shaking slightly, I could see the others tense as a childish and truly frightening laughed echoed form somewhere farther in the room. We couldn't see a thing because of the poisoned smoke surrounding us, though, but I could feel Allen confronting the new threat already.

I tried to move, but my body stopped on it's own.

 _Ary, you can't go now! You have to let me finish this!_

 _But Allen's in danger! The scientist's auras are so weak, and I need to-_

 _I will use force if I have too, Ary! Just listen to me and calm the hell down! Going kamikaze on them won't help a fucking thing!_

I clenched my fists, then breathed, and I felt the tension on my muscles disappear as Gabriel let go of his hold.

 _What is that thing, Trickster?_

 _A Level Four._

 _W-what!? How can such an atrocious being exist?_

I was really tempted to cry in frustration now, and I could sense Marie's unease growing as he heard the new level of Akuma.

Extending my aura again to catch Allen's, I ignored at best the state of the dark mass swirling in front of him and realized he was as distressed as I.

 _Gab, I can't take it! I have to go help him!_

 _…_ _fine. I patched up the basics, anyway. But if I say to fall back, you obey, got it?_

 _Hai!_

"Aryane, what's happening?" asked Cross, serious for once.

"Level Four" I answered. "Get ready"

And with that, I flew towards my friend's position.

* * *

I got there a minute later, and the only thing keeping me from running back was the thought of leaving him and my friends alone with this disgusting creature.

I wasn't even ashamed to say that I was _terrified._

However, ignoring the kicking instincts and the need to empty my stomach more than trice, I landed next to Allen, who had collapsed onto his knees, and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Allen, wake up!" I shook him roughly. "This is no time to chicken out! Our friends need us!"

I glanced at the bunch of scientists lying around in their own blood, and recognized Reever, Bak, Johnny and many others.

The boy raised his eyes to me, and I realized he was crying. Then, I remembered his cursed eye. He must be seeing the demon's soul, then.

"We have to save everyone" I insisted.

He swallowed hard, before a flame of determination brightened his eyes.

A chill crawled down my spine as the Akuma suddenly appeared behind us, barely a meter away.

Slowly, I turned to face it.

"Who's this 'everyone'?" it asked childishly. "Are you crying?"

I bite my tongue, drawing some blood in the process.

"Hai" admitted Allen, rubbing his eyes. "I weep for those who died, and for you and your soul. But… it ends here!"

As his Innocence activated, I chose the cowardly way and ran to the scientist's sides, determined to get them away from there.

 _Whatever you do, stay calm. Allen can hold it up for the moment. Just do what you have to do._

 _Hai!_

Bookman came to help me as Allen and the Level Four disappeared in the smoke, and we managed to get all the injured to Tiedoll and his _Eden_.

 _Ary, do it._

 _But I have to protect everyone! If I go against it now, then they might-_

 _Sometimes, the best defense is the attack._

That struck a cord, and gritted my teeth. What the hell was happening to me? I wasn't about to run away, not now, not when I was needed the most.

My thoughts wandered to Lavi, Lenalee, Komui, Kanda, Krory and Tewaku, still somewhere in the tower. If we didn't destroy the Level Four here, it would go on a rampage and kill _everyone._

I couldn't let that happen.

I wouldn't.

Not wasting any more time, I flew back to the battlefield.

* * *

I got there just in time to see Allen crashing through a wall, his Innocence deactivating.

"Oi, ugly butt!" I yelled, gaining it's attention. "Why don't you play with me, now?"

"Ooh, a new toy!" it exclaimed giddily. "Will you last as long as the last one, though? I think I broke him…"

It laughed again, and my anger gained the upper hand upon my disgust. I knew the white-haired boy was still alive, but barely, and seeing it just _laugh_ about my friend's life made me mad.

Very, very mad.

"How about we go with the same trick, eh?" It proposed, grinning madly.

It snapped it's fingers, shooting some sort of white gigantic sphere my way. Not even moving, I raised _Shield._

The attack bounced back to the Akuma, sending it away much like what happened with Allen. However, it simply got back on it's feet, still smiling.

"That's a nice trick, Onee-san!" the monster said in glee. "How about a few more?"

It shot at me again, but I easily deflected the spheres back to it. The Akuma avoided them, now knowing my move, and I used this momentum to send _Feathered Blades_.

The Level Four barely escaped them, but the last one actually scratched it's arm. It blinked in surprise as black drops fell out of the wound.

"You got me there, Onee-san" it admitted, more quietly. "Why don't I show you a new trick too, then?"

It's aura leveled up and, before I could react, the monster started screaming.

* * *

The young Exorcist instantly gripped her head in pain as her mouth opened and closed, unable to let her own scream escape. Her form started buzzing as she seemed to split in two separate beings.

For any who would have watched, there now seemed to be a man standing next to her, both collapsing to their knees as sparks flew around them.

Only one was watching, though.

"Oh, Onee-san isn't alone, eh?" the Akuma giggled.

"We- we're loosing… our synch…" gasped the man, also known as Gabriel.

"G-Gab?" she recognized with some sort of fright. "W-what… argh!"

And suddenly, all was bursting up ravaging flames.

* * *

"Ary… Ary…"

I took in a sharp intake of breath as my lungs seemed to work for the first time. Coughing and spatting some blood, someone helped me in a sitting position. Looking up, it took me a few times to recognize the man holding me.

"Gabriel?"

"Hey" he grinned.

But how the hell could he be here? Alive? Out of my fricking head?

I then realized how pale he was, almost translucent.

He smiled sadly.

"The attack… destabilized… our synch rate…" he informed, his voice far and close at the same time. "I couldn't… get back in… without synchronizing with… you, again…"

"How do we do that?" I frowned.

He chuckled at that.

"Hime… you have a chance now…" he said quietly.

"W-what? A chance? What are you talking about?"

I started panicking. What was he going on about? A chance? A chance for what? Why did he seemed so down? So defeated and understanding at the same time?

"Without my vessel… I'm going back…" he admitted. "We can synchronize… again… but now is your last chance…"

"What chance!?" I repeated, worried.

"To be… free…"

I froze.

...Free?

What did he meant?

"Without me… you'll still have your Innocence… but you won't have the destiny… or Protector and Savior of the Innocence…" he announced. "You can refuse the synch… right now… and I'll go… back… and you'll be able to be… free… and help your friends… without restraints… no more secrets… no more lies… no more nightmares…"

At that, unable to stop myself, I slapped him.

Hard.

He stared at me dumbly.

"You're my friend too, Gabriel!" I snapped, my throat feeling dry. "I don't care about destiny and whatnot! I need you by my side, just like everyone else, and I'm not about to let you go! I am an Exorcist, the Protector and Savior, and I am fucking damn proud of it! So sue me, but you ain't going anywhere because I'm fucking selfish and I want you with me when we kick Michael's ass! I'm not backing down! I'm not running away! We've started this together, and we'll end this together! There's no other way, got it!?"

My heart throbbing in my chest, I felt more than saw Gabriel smiling at me as the emptiness in my mind started filling again. There was a flash of light, and he completely disappeared.

 _I'm glad, Ary._

 _Don't you fucking do that again, Trickster. I won't forgive you next time._

 _Sure, sure. Just get on with it and do your fucking job, would you? There's still a Level Four rampaging downstairs._

 _But we won't let it kill anyone else._

"I promise"

* * *

As the Exorcists currently fighting the... thing, learned about the survivors in the fifth lab by none other than Marshall Cross, who had used _Carte Garde_ to escape, the Level Four started moving once again despite Allen's sword through it's abdomen.

It was angry now.

"Innocence… I… hate it… I hate it… I hate it!" It snarled, gathering energy to free itself.

Its gaze was frenetic, with a crazy haze tainting its view. It bared its teeth, pushed harder, and finally managed to send the white haired boy away, freeing itself. It got up, black blood seeping through its wounds, and sent the sword through Allen's shoulder, pinning him to the wall. Lenalee landed next to him, worried.

Lavi and Kanda's eyes widened as the Akuma giggled and swayed between insanity and amusement, and it suddenly flew at the two sill standing.

At the last second, though, there was the distinct noise of metal clashing against metal as a beam of white blinding light shot between the Fourteenth's legacy and the Level Four. The whole room shook under the strength of the deflected blow as the disgusting being was sent crashing away, and all eyes turned to the figure, stunned by the sudden appearance.

"Who do you think you are… hurting my friends like this?" the figure asked.

The voice was like ice shards, but extremely familiar to all of those present, and the light finally died down enough to reveal the identity of this unknown savior.

Her hair was as red as ever, strands flying around her face like angry snakes as a her face revealed nothing of the pure hatred she felt towards the weapon. Her wings were spread wide, protecting Allen and Lenalee from the debris, and the halo above her head was brighter than they ever saw it before.

It was Aryane, of course. None other Exorcist had that taste for dramatic entrances.

She seemed somewhat different, though.

If her appearance hadn't change a bit, she seemed more dangerous than ever. However, her friends felt somehow safe. All her her anger was merely directed to the Level Four now getting back on it's feet.

"A-Ary…" whispered Lenalee.

But the older teen wasn't listening to her, all her attention focused on her enemy. She started walking towards it and Lavi, looking closer, remarked that she was wearing some sort of chainmail, or armor. It seemed lightweight, almost fragile, but something told him it was way more than that. She also wore gauntlets that reached her elbows, made of the same steel that he just couldn't put a name on.

"You made a mistake by coming here, Level Four" her voice echoed in the heavy silence.

"Are you sure you aren't the one who made said mistake?" it sneered, before shooting purple spheres at her.

There were a few explosions around her but, when the dust settled down, all could see she hadn't even moved an inch.

"You are weak, already shattered" she pursued, walking again.

The young girl grabbed the pendant around her neck, the one Rohfa, Rikei and Shifu had made for her back at the Asian Branch.

 _"_ _Silversword!"_

It glowed as a blade started forming, pointy end going down as the pendant now formed the hilt. Then, she brandished her new weapon before her.

"For all the lives you took, for your own very soul" she whispered. "Please die!"

The teen brought it down on her opponent, who raised it's arms to block the attack.

...

The sword _sliced_ through them as if it was butter, before cutting the head in two, straight and clean.

"Inno… cence… I… hate… Innocence…"

And it exploded.

* * *

The sword turned back to a pendant as I spun around to the others, a big smile on my face. My wrath was appeased and the threat was no more.

"Yo! How's life going?"

"ARY!"

Lenalee was the first to react, jumping from her spot and landing in my arms before hugging me tightly against her.

Wait. _Jumping?_

"Your Innocence's back!" I realized. "Jumper, this is amazing!"

She laughed happily as I made her spin, and I examined her Innocence closer. It was different from an equip-type or a parasitic-type, that I could tell.

"Is everyone alright?" she then asked. "In the fifth lab…"

"Many died, but those who were caught in the last attack of the Level Four all survived" I assured, still smiling but less.

She nodded and I let out a sigh, before collapsing on my knees. Someone caught me before I could hit the ground, and I raised my eyes to see Lavi smiling down at me.

"What the hell was that, Tenshi?"

"My second level" I answered, refraining a yawn. "Damn, I'm tired…"

"Tche, you're late, Akahato" sneered Kanda.

"Oh, still alive, Jerkface?" I blinked in fake wonder. "Should have come later"

He scoffed and whacked the back of my head.

"Jerk"

"Bitch"

"Son of mine"

"Dwarf"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

The others laugh at our banter, and someone else hit my head. I glared at Cross, who took a smoke as if he didn't just bashed my skull.

"I wanted to use it as a test subject" he nodded at the fuming remains of the Akuma.

"Too bad, I got him first" I retorted. "You snooze, you loose, right?"

"Ary… are they really okay?" asked Allen to my right, as if not believing it.

Smiling, I ruffled his hair despite my position in my boyfriend's embrace.

"Why don't we just go and see by ourselves?" I proposed.

Trying to get up, I realized I couldn't even move my legs. They others shot me worried looks.

"I'm fi-"

Lavi clamped his hand over my mouth.

"We know you're not" he rolled his eye. "You're exhausted"

"Everyone is" I replied, pushing his hand away. "But fine, I'll rest. Piggy back ride?"

He thought for a moment, a teasing glint in his green eye, then dramatically sighed.

"I guess you _do_ deserve one…"

"Yay!"

He lifted me on his back, and I snuggled into the warmth, happy.

It was finally over.

* * *

"Ji-ji!"

Lavi ran to Bookman's stretcher, with me still on his back.

"You dead?" he asked fervently.

"The idiot's arrived" remarked flatly the old man.

I snorted as Lavi wiped away a few relieved tears.

"Aw, Bookboy's crying" I poked his cheek.

"Shut up, Tenshi! I'm not crying!" he protested.

"And here's idiot number two" added plainly Bookman.

"Aw, I love you too" I grinned. "Not going to die on us now, are we? I know you're old and wrinkly already, but don't kick the bucket just yet"

"I feel your appreciation" he deadpanned. "But more importantly, did any of my hair get burnt?"

"Who cares if your hair got burnt!?" finally gave in Lavi, tears streaming down his face. "Baka Ji-ji!"

Smiling, I let my head fall on his back and closed my eyes as he wailed in relief.

I'd grieve tomorrow.

* * *

 **I don't know, this chapter seems kind of short... but wathever, I quite like it.**

 **So, Ary's synchronisation rate with Gabriel got a boost because of the re-synch, the pendant became her second level now known as _Silversword_ and all is well that ends well.**

 **Well, except for Dap.**

 **Question: None for now. If you're still confused about Ary's new form of Innocence, don't hesitate to ask.**

 **Reviews!**


	35. Go Now, But Come Back Soon

**So, this is officially the last chapter before we enter... _HALLOW_!Yeah! **

**Answer: ...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

I woke up three hours later under medical care. Of course, I didn't stay there for long, but I took pity on the nurses and let them do the tests without complaining. After that, I went to the chapel where all the dead would be exposed.

When I got there, I easily counted all the corpses.

56.

 _It could have been worse, Hime._

 _It could have been better._

 _You can't blame yourself, Ary. You know you can't._

 _And I'm not. I'm going to do more next time, though. I will avenged their deaths and will remember their sacrifice. I won't let it happen again._

 _Atta girl._

Taking a deep breath, I tried to identify those lying before me, but could only make out faces. I never talked to most of them, but Tapp's name on one of the coffins made my heart sting. He was a good man, and he helped me a lot through the paperwork duty when I had too do it.

Biting my lower lip, I then realized with relief that Tewaku wasn't in there. We had been separated when I was sent through the third gate with the others, and didn't see her since. Now worried, I tried to find her, but realized I couldn't expand my aura that much.

 _You don't have enough energy yet._

 _Yeah, I kind of realized that._

I couldn't just let it go, though. So, I started searching the old way.

Otherwise said, I ran through each and every hallway and asked everyone if they had seen her.

No answer was positive.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, I finally spotted Leverrier and Link talking farther away. At first hesitating, I then hardened my resolve and walked to them.

"Leverrier!" I called.

He turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

"Miss Aryane. What-"

"Tewaku's missing" I cut. "We got separated at the third gate, so I've been looking for her, but I can't find her anywhere!"

He didn't seem worried, though.

"Inspector Tewaku has received a new mission and is going back to Central" he informed. "She is safe, if you really want to know"

My heart missed a beat, and I felt a little dizzy.

"Thank God" I breathed out, passing an hand on my face. "... Wait, I'm not under investigation anymore?"

"We cannot afford loosing anymore effectives for such trivial matters" he replied. "But do not think I take my eyes of of you"

"Of course not" I rolled my own. "I'll go see her off then"

I waved lazily, and made a mad dash for the waterways, hoping I'd get there in time. Running down the stairs and nearly breaking my neck a few times, I finally got to the decks, where the blond girl was about to depart.

"Doll!" I yelled.

She jumped at my voice and turned to me, wide eyes. She instantly jumped back onto the deck as I reached her.

"Ary" she greeted. "I'm glad you're safe"

"I was worried about you" I frowned. "The hell were you thinking, leaving without even saying goodbye?"

"I was ordered to leave immediately" she bit her lower lip.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, curious.

She took a deep breath, before locking our gazes, some sort of hope in her eyes.

"You asked me to find my purpose, my own path, remember? You asked me if I would take the opportunity if it presented itself, right?" she remembered. "I can'T tell you much but... This is it, Ary! This is my chance!"

I eyed her for a few seconds, careful on my next words.

"Is it what you truly want, Doll?"

"Hai" her voice was determined, resolved.

I smiled, and patted her head.

"Then I'm with you on the whole way" I assured.

Her breath hitched and I could see water forming in her eyes. She instantly wiped them away, and stomped back to the boat. I could see she was glad, but unable to express it. The boat started moving again, and I waved, before making my way back to the door.

"W-wait! Ary!"

There was a 'THUD' as I turned around, in time to catch the teenager who hugged me with all the strength she could muster. I instantly hugged back, and I felt my shoulder becoming wet as her tears tainted my clothes.

"Thank you" she whispered.

The girl then pulled away, rubbing her cheeks to make the last traces of cries disappear.

"Come see me again sometimes, alright?" I pushed some strands behind her ears.

"When we see each other again, I'll have found my own path!" she assured.

"I'll be waiting, then"

As the boat disappeared in the darkness, I couldn't help but wonder why there was a debris of Dark Matter onboard.

* * *

As I walked back to my room, someone collided into me.

"Itai…" I grunted, rubbing my hell. "Where the hell are you running like that, Kiddo?"

"S-sorry, Ary!" he helped me up.

"Ary, Krory has woken up!" exclaimed Miranda, who appeared just behind him.

My heart missed a beat. Ignoring them, I instantly ran to the medical wing.

* * *

"BUFFY!"

Slamming the doors open, I darted in the room, already occupied by Marie, Chaozii, Marie and the Head Nurse –who glared at me.

"Ary" the man smiled as I crouched next to him.

"Crow-chan!"

"Krory!"

Lavi, Allen and Miranda arrived just a moment later.

"Guys…"

"I can't believe you decided to wake up _now_ " I hit my head against his bed. "You missed out onto a lot, Buffy. And we were so worried too! Don't scare us like that again!"

He chuckled, and his hand rested onto my head.

"I won't"

Someone cleared his throat, and we turned to see Kanda leaning in the doorframe.

"Uh? Yuu?" blinked Lavi. "What is it?"

"Komui's calling for us" he simply answered.

* * *

"This is an evolved equip type" presented Komui. "The Innocence takes the user's blood and forms a weapon from it. We've decided to call it a crystal-type"

"Is Lenalee the only one who can attain this crystal-type?" asked Tiedoll.

"No, there's a very high chance it's possible for all equip-types" refuted the Boss.

Everyone looked at each other, unsure about what to make of this new possibility.

"So God wants to make us stronger, uh?" Tiedoll concluded.

"I wonder about that"

Surprised, I turned to Allen, who wasn't even looking at us.

"With this recent attack, it seems to me that the Earl is trying to say that he could kill us at any time" he pursued. "And that's why we must become stronger. We must take that strength and continue this fight, until the day we defeat all of the Akumas. Until the day we defeat the Millennium Earl"

There was a moment of silence.

"Talking about the Millennium Earl…"

I stiffened at Klaud's voice, clearly remembering her last words to me.

"Exorcist Aryane"

 _And there we go._

 _Fuck my life._

"Hai?"

"Sooner in the battle, you were taken captive by the Noah and admitted to have been sent to the Millennium Earl when you managed to get back" she recalled. "From what I've gathered, he has also tried to kill you once when you first came out of the Ark, and you were also separated from your group when you faced the Noah Twins Jasdevi"

I could feel everyone's eyes burning holes through me as Allen, Lavi and Bookman's worry grew somewhat.

Then, I sighed.

"You're right, something happened" I admitted.

"Ary-" Allen tried to stop me.

"I couldn't tell anyone here because of the presence of Leverrier" I cut sharply. "Seeing as he isn't there, I am ready to clarify this situation. However, I must insist that any information given here is to be kept secret, no matter what happens. If Central was to know about my situation, everyone here would be in grave danger"

After a few unsure glances, Komui finally nodded his consent. Klaud, Sokaro and Tiedoll did the same, before being joined by the rest of the Exorcists.

 _This is going to be long._

 _No shit._

* * *

"This new threat is quite troubling" Klaud narrowed her eyes.

"As I said, none of you has to take care of it" I shook my head. "It is my role, and Gabriel's, to eliminate Apocryphos"

"And you say he has infiltrated the Vatican?" frowned Komui.

"Exactly, which is why I couldn't let Leverrier know. If he did, then the information would have reached Michael's ears and he would have come here to kill me and all the Exorcists present at the same time" I resumed.

"And you also said you could find the Heart" pointed out Reever.

At that, I turned to the mirror that had been brought at my demand, where Gabriel was sitting.

"You see, that's actually a story I have yet to hear too" I remarked, more coldly. "How about you tell us more, Trickster?"

My tone was casual, but he knew I was serious.

He sighed.

 _"_ _When the Innocence was dispersed around the globe in different fragments, I was given the Heart. I hid it the best I could, before erasing my own memories to make sure the Earl would never know its location. However, Aryane is my Host. That means she can see my memories, and thus finding out about the Heart's hideout. Of course, she'd have to expand her aura first, and we have to merge even more, but one of the Noahs who has yet to be reincarnated would be able to break through our defenses to get the information anyway, which is why the Earl tried to kidnap her. He tried to kill her when he realized she would more than probably lead us to it first if she didn't die, but then learn somehow that she wasn't even close to unlock the memories, and thus still had a chance. Now it's too late, so he won't try anything for a while. His Egg has been destroyed, his Noahs are out of shape and his Akumas are running low. We should be safe for now, long enough for Ary and I to develop our bond more"_

"And you didn't deem necessary to warn me first?" I raised an eyebrow. "You just told me that one day, I would be able to find the Heart. If you told me that I unconsciously already knew, I would have been hell of a lot more careful as to not get caught, you know? And I would have told everyone then, too"

 _"_ _I was afraid that if I told you, you would unlock the memories without being ready"_

And he was honest too. Grunting in defeat, I slumped on the couch.

"Damn, I can't stay mad at you" I sighed.

There were a few chuckles, and Lenalee placed an hand on my shoulder.

"Allen, Lavi and Bookman knew, though" she remarked.

"Allen because he was already suspicious of me, seeing as I kept talking to myself back at the Asian Branch, and the other two because… well, they're Bookmen. They don't have to answer Central like we do. That's really it" I shrugged.

Allen shot me a grateful look, apparently glad I hadn't snitched on him and his situation, but I waved it off. Chaozii shot me a curious look.

"You said you could feel the Innocence and the aura" he remarked. "And that you can identify everyone. How do you do it?"

"Well, Exorcists, civilians, Akumas and Noahs are clear, separated groups" I informed. "The civilians are some blue, kind of hazy. The Exorcists are red, heavier. The Akumas are purple and cold. The Noahs are black and white at the same time, and make me feel sick. After that, it depends on each person. For example, the stupid womanizer is a mix between the taste of alcohol and the smell of cigarettes"

"Why aren't I surprise" grunted Allen.

"Kiddo's here tastes lemon" I informed, smirking. "As for Jumper's, it feels like a cold breeze against my skin. You see, it really depends on the person"

"What's Kanda's?" asked curiously Marie.

"Lotus flower"

There were a few snorts –I'd say from Lavi and Allen, but I won't point fingers- as Kanda glared my way, and I placed my attention back on Komui, who rubbed his temples.

"Anything else we should know?" he finally asked.

I exchanged a glance with Lavi, who simply shrugged.

"Bookboy and I are together" I informed.

There was only silence, and Kanda scoffed.

"As if that wasn't a given" he pointed out.

"I-I thought you were a-already together…" muttered Miranda.

"No surprise" shrugged Marie.

"You kissed on the Ark" recalled Chaozii.

"Kind of obvious" Allen scratched his head.

"Saw it coming too" nodded Lenalee.

"Already knew" said Bookman.

"My little girl's all grown up" cried Komui, banging his head on the table.

"G-guys! We weren't that obvious!" I protested with flaming red cheeks.

"Sweetheart, you kept making googly eyes at each other" Sokaro rolled his eyes.

"We didn't-"

"She's too innocent for her own good" Klaud shook her head.

 _"_ _You tell me"_ snorted Gabriel.

"Young love is such a beautiful sight!" exclaimed Tiedoll, clearly loosing a screw.

"I fucking hate you all" I hide my face in my hands.

"Not Lavi, though" replied Reever with a smirk.

"That's it, I'm out of here"

I made my way outside as the others just laugh at my embarrassment.

 _I like them._

 _Shut the fuck up._

* * *

Turns out my room was one of the few that were destroyed during the attack.

It kind of irked me, because that meant I had to sleep in the medical wing until we got the new Headquarters, but I wasn't that upset either, seeing as all my precious belongings were on my person anyway.

It'd be a drag to go shopping, though.

As I fumbled trough the rubbles to find what I could still use, I felt Lavi's aura approaching my position. He wasn't that far, which made me frown. I should have felt him coming sooner than that.

 _As I said, take it easy. It'll be back in a day or two._

 _I feel naked without it, though._

 _Then you'll learn not to depend too much on your powers._

The redhead knocked on the doorframe, seeing as the door that was supposed to stand in the way kind of exploded, and entered.

"What's my aura?" he asked with the curiosity akin to a child's.

"Old books and ink" I smiled. "My favorite"

"Of course it is" he grinned, and leaned to get a kiss.

We relaxed for a few minutes, letting all the stress of the last morning disappear, and he handed me something when we pulled away. I eyed the flute in my hands with a smile.

The first pipe was half-broken.

"That's a really weird coincidence" I pointed out.

"Yeah, it is" he chuckled.

We stayed silent for a moment, just hugging, and I sighed when I felt his aura spike in wonder and hesitation.

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

He tense, before relaxing and hugging me tighter.

"Yeah. We're still going to record, but Ji-ji asked for a few months off so that we didn't miss on any other events in the world" he explained.

"When are you leaving?"

"Now, I guess"

At his reluctance, I smiled before kissing him again.

"Then go" I ordered. "But come back in one piece, would ya? It'd be a drag to bury you. You know how I hate cemeteries"

He let out a sharp laugh, and placed his forehead against mine.

"I won't ask you not to do anything stupid, 'cause that'd be asking for a miracle-"

"Hey!"

"But stay safe" he pursued, still smiling but serious. "You can stay alive for a few more months, can't you?"

"Bookboy, I find your lack of faith disturbing" I teased. "But if it can reassure you, then I promise to stay safe and do my best not to die while you're away"

"I'll take your word for it then"

His lips were on mine again, moving slowly, longingly, and my heart fluttered a little.

"Lavi, Bookman asked for- holy shit! Sorry, sorry!"

I snorted as Allen walked straight out and pulled away.

"Come on, you've got to go now" I pushed him out.

"See you in a few months!" he waved.

I shook my head as he walked away with Allen, the younger boy still red but now teasing his elder with a Cheshire grin while my boyfriend whined about his intervention.

 _A few months, eh? Guess it gives us time to train, then, Hime._

 _When he's back, we'll be even stronger, believe it!_

 _Let go of_ Naruto _, would you? We're not in a stupid anime._

 _We might be._

 _…_

 _…_

 _I think you broke the fourth wall._

 _Shut up._

I had –what, three months? Four months?.

No matter.

When everyone got back together, we would all be even stronger.

And this time, the Earl won't have the upper hand.

* * *

 **WAAAAA! The end of the "first" season! I really like this chapter too...**

 **Question: If Lavi wasn't there, with who would you ship Ary dear? *wink, wink***

 **Reviews are love!**


	36. Fate's Plans

**First chapter of _Hallow! *_ Cheers***

 **Answer: Personally, I thought about Tyki or Kanda. In the end, I obviously chose Lavi.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

In the calm city of London, the night had fallen without much events.

The darkness had swallowed the streets, a few lampposts lighting the steps of anyone who'd be walking at this hour.

Of course, no one would be out so late. That would be crazy, wouldn't-

An explosion made the pavements shake near the Big Ben.

Ah.

It would seem there are a few crazy ones after all.

* * *

Akumas were flying around a green box-like formation. Inside, a woman with long brown hair, an eldest woman and two man with shields were standing their ground. Behind them, protected by the walls created by the formation, another blond man with two spots on his forehead placed down his piece on the chessboard.

"Bishop, D-3"

"I'm sorry, Lady Miranda" apologized one of the man with the shields. "Our barrier devices didn't last long"

"We didn't think it was going to take this long" added the other one.

The woman, Miranda, simply sent a shaky smile their way.

"I-I'm alright" she assured. "You two p-please take a break for a while. I- I will protect you all with t-this trivial, insignificant power of mine!"

At the same moment, an heavier strike managed to damage the wall before them, and the old lady screamed in fright.

"Hand over the Innocence!" ordered the Level Three.

But its next blow was stopped by the arrival of another Exorcist.

"Sorry, but we can't do that" the vampire-like man refused.

"Don't interfere with our work!" added another girl, younger with short hair.

"Krory" Miranda's breathing eased somewhat. "Lenalee…"

"What? That's my line!" the weapon snarled.

Lenalee jumped and sliced it's arm off, nice and clean as Krory punched it in the stomach, making it implode under the strength of the fist. The body hit the ground in a 'THUD' with blood smearing the grass.

"Serves you right" sniffed Krory.

Then the both of them ran back into the battlefield as a new one appeared, with fiery orange/brown hair and an eyepatch, a hammer slung on his shoulder.

"Just as you'd expect from the Order's elite Exorcists" he remarked with a smirk.

A new Akuma suddenly appeared under his feet. Jumping high, he raised his hammer before bringing it down onto the head.

" _Hiban_!"

The enemy disappeared in a cyclone of fire.

The rest of the Akumas became more agitated as yet another of the Hosts escaped their attacks.

"Those scampering Exorcists are annoying!" one yelled.

The man before them, with a long ponytail and a cold glare, faced them with his katana proudly brandish before him.

"You've got such a thin sword!" sneered another damned weapon. "I'm going to break it!"

"That's what she said!"

Before the long-haired Exorcist could react, a beam of light dropped from the sky and onto his opponents, destroying the two of them in one go. Then, the newcomer landed on the ground as the Level Three collapsed in their own blood, a grin on her face and unmistakable red hair waving around.

"Yo!" she greeted with a peace sign. "Still alive, Jerkface?"

"Those were mine, Akahato" he glared, drawing back his katana.

"You snooze, you loose, Ba-Kanda" she shrugged.

There was a terrified scream from the old lady, and the both of them turned in time to see the last enemy fall onto a white-haired boy's sword.

"Nice one, Kiddo!" exclaimed the redhead girl.

"Ary" he lifted a surprise gaze at her. "Weren't you supposed to join with us tomorrow?"

"Nan, I missed the lot of you too much, I couldn't wait!" she shook her head. "Well, except Jerkface 'cause he's an asshole, but-"

Said asshole simply hit the back of her head harshly, and she punched his chin for good measure. Electricity crackled between the two of them as the rest of those present, too use to these sorts of situations, merely sweatdropped.

"ARY!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

The boy with the eyepatch from sooner jumped onto her back as she screamed and lost her balance, sending the both of them rolling into the bloody dust.

"Bookboy" she whined, getting up. "That was just mean!"

"Ary, you do the same every time" Lenalee pointed out with a smile.

"Touché. Aw, I'm so glad to see all of you!" she exclaimed happily, latching her arms around the other girl's neck.

"We're glad to see you too, Ary" she assured, her smile only widening.

The others simply laughed as she passed around, hugging everyone –except Kanda, of course. When it came to Lavi's turn, she lingered a little in his arms, but quickly pulled away, both very aware of the presence of a certain Inspector not far behind.

"So, what's the situation?" she asked, watching the chess game going on with curiosity.

"If he wins, we get the Innocence" answered Krory.

"If he loose, I'll kill him" sneered Kanda.

Aryane simply rolled her eyes at that.

 _Typical Kanda._

Then, as all the Exorcists huddled around to watch the match unfolding, she gazed at her friends with a soft smile gracing her lips once again.

 _You missed them a lot._

 _We didn't see them in four months. Of course I missed them!_

 _But now you're together again, and all much more stronger than before._

 _That's for sure._

"Checkmate!" then announced the blond man, also known as Howard Link.

The rest cheered as the winged teenager eyed the game board with a calculating and amused gaze at the same time.

"I'm an Inspector" sighed Link, loosening up his collar. "Why do I have to do things like this? I'm not an Exorcist"

"Well, you can help while you're overseeing us, right?" remarked Allen Walker, his charge.

He cleared his throat, before turning to the lone hand that had been his opponent.

"We won, Mr. Martin" he announced. "As promised, we'll take your ring"

"What an absurd champion you are!" scolded the old lady. "To think you appeared every night as a ghost, you stupid little brother! But, it was a good match. You've played enough now, haven't you?"

The hand shook, before becoming dust, and Kanda picked up the ring before turning to his Golem.

"We have collected the Innocence" he informed. "Akahato also joined with us"

 **"** **Good. You are now ordered to go to the new Headquarters. Ary will show you the way"**

"Hai!"

As everyone got ready to leave, Aryane leaned over Link's shoulder.

"M-miss Aryane!" he recognized. "We haven't seen you in a while"

"Glad to see you too, Cupcake" she grinned at him. "But by the way, you could have won four turns ago. Just saying"

With that, she walked away to her friends and linked her arms with Lenalee and Miranda.

The Inspector blinked in surprise at the chessboard.

She was right.

* * *

"That's a good way to catch a cold, Allen" called Lenalee.

"What are you doing, all alone like that?" I added. "Feeling emo or something? The teen phase finally kicking in?"

The boy rolled his eyes as we joined him on the deck, Lavi just behind us.

"You really haven't change, did you, Ary?" he remarked with a happy glint in his stare.

"Actually, I'm taller!" I informed gleefully. "See? We're the same height now!"

"Ary, you're on your toes"

"Am not!" I huffed.

They just chuckled.

"But what are you doing outside, Allen?" asked Lavi, bringing back the conversation on it's tracks.

"Actually, I was wondering what our new Headquarters was like" he admitted.

"Yeah, we haven't been able to see it with all the missions Komui kept giving us" nodded Lavi.

"Except for Ary" Lenalee recalled. "You've been there, which is why you were sent to fetch us, right?"

"Yeah, but I barely saw the place" I shrugged.

"Still, the Black Order really is a slave-driver organization" Lavi rubbed the back of his neck.

"They can't help it, seeing as there aren't enough Exorcists" replied Allen.

"And you're saying that just because you're a lazy bum" I added, grinning.

For only answer, he roughly rubbed his knuckles against my head.

"Bookboy!" I whined, trying to escape the attack.

"You two wouldn't convince anyone acting like that" the white-haired teen shook his head fondly.

Lenalee grabbed my arm, beaming.

"See?" grinned Lenalee.

"I see, I see" I assured, grinning too.

"What is it?" asked Allen, puzzled.

"When we were inside earlier, we were talking…" she informed him.

"About how lately you haven't been speaking formally that much" pursued Lavi.

"Uh?" he blinked.

"You haven't noticed it yourself?" I poked his cheek. "Of course, it depends to who you're talking to"

"I'm a Bookman, who's duty is to record everything" added Lavi in a matter-of-fact tone. "And I'm so good that I wouldn't miss even trivial changes"

"You're also full of yourself" I scoffed. "Deflate your ego a notch of two, or you won't pass the gates"

"You wound me, Tenshi" he placed an hand on his chest in fake hurt.

"Of co-"

"Hey, we can see it!"

At Lenalee's exclamation, we turned around to see the new Headquarters just ahead of us. I had caught a glimpse when I came the day before, but had been sent after everyone before I could visit, so I couldn't wait to explore the new place.

 _More like you longed for the library._

 _That I did. I haven't had the time to finish_ The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

 _Thinking about sending it to Tewaku?_

 _I think she'd prefer_ The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

 _Ah, that was a good one._

Lavi's fingers discreetly intertwined with mines as we accosted.

"The roof tonight?" he asked quietly.

"Same time" I replied in the same tone.

We then separated our short-timed hold as everyone walked out. Then, we headed for the new Headquarters.

* * *

"Whoa, this is amazing!"

"What the hell is this place?"

"Holy crap…"

"Welcome! Or rather, welcome back!" greeted Johnny, coming our way.

"This is so cool! It's a huge mansion, isn't it?" asked Lavi.

"It's beautiful!" exclaimed Lenalee.

"This place is larger than the previous one" remarked Krory.

"I heard that this place was built very quickly" informed the scientist.

"T-this is s-so magnificent t-t-that it makes m-me feel out of p-place" said Miranda.

"Agreed" smiled Allen.

"Don't be so restless just because we're at the new place" scoffed Kanda.

"What's wrong with being restless, Jerkface?" I replied, crossing my arms.

He turned to face me, probably trying to intimidate me with his half-head higher, but I stood my ground.

"You're all so loud, be considerate to others" he retorted.

"Considerate to others?" I repeated with a snort. "That's rich coming from _you,_ Ba-Kanda"

He leveled his glare to mine, and electricity crackled.

 _If you weren't with Lavi, I'd say you and Kanda would be perfect for each other._

 _Stuff it, Trickster._

"A-Ary! Would you like some candy?" suddenly intervened Miranda. "H-how about you, K-Kanda?"

"Sweet!"

"Ooh, I want some too!" said Allen, stars in his eyes.

"No" Kanda walked away.

Instantly, I grabbed the little bag before the white haired boy could make his move.

"Thanks, Mira-chan!" I beamed at her.

"A-any time, Ary" she smiled back.

"Pass some, Ary!" asked Allen, trying to catch the bag.

But I escaped his grip and put some distance between the two of us.

"No" I refused, hugging the candies to myself. "Mine"

"Ary-y-y-y!" he whined. "Come on, don't' be such a tightwad! Give me some!"

"My precious!"

He started chasing after me, but I hid behind Lavi and pulled my tongue at him as he stopped in his tracks at the sight of the redhead.

"Ah! He's scared of- hey! Give it back!"

My boyfriend, using the momentum, had grabbed the sweets and raised it above my head, out of my reach. I crossed my arms, huffing.

I would _not_ level myself to jump to get them.

"Give them back" I ordered.

"Hum… no" he grinned, shaking the bag above.

"You're cruel, Bookboy!" I stomped my foot. "So, so cruel!"

A pale hand passed above his shoulder and suddenly grabbed the candies, pulling them away. Surprised, we both turned to see Allen walking away with a mocking smirk on his lips.

"Kiddo! Come back here this instant!"

I started running after him, but he ran away.

 _Fuck, I forgot how fast he was._

 _This is getting ridiculous._

 _Well, what were you expecting? It's_ us _we're talking about._

 _Touché._

I jumped onto his back, making him stumble to the floor. The bag slid on the tiles, passed through a hole in the fence of the balcony and fall to it's doom in the dark waters.

"Ah, look at what you've done!" I whined.

"What _I've_ done? You're the one who jumped on me!" he replied, trying to get up.

Feeling vindictive, I activated my wings and steeled them, making him fall back onto the floor with a 'THUD'.

"A-Ary…" he struggled.

"Say uncle" I ordered.

"N-no…"

"Say it!"

"Tenshi, he's turning blue" warned Lavi.

Rolling my eyes, I got up nowadays, and the white haired boy crawled away in a dramatic gesture.

"Tell everyone… I did… my best…"

He faked his death, making me laugh, and Lenalee giggled at our antics, the rest chuckling behind us.

"Oh, Allen" called Johnny. "I'm sorry to ask you when you must be tired, but could you help us with the gates?"

"Uh?" he dusted himself. "Sure thing"

He distanced himself a little, before calling forth a new gate with the number nine.

A moment later, Bookman's head appeared through the door.

"Boy, this place is cold" he remarked, jumping out.

"Hey, old geezer" greeted Lavi. "How're you doing?"

"Have you been working earnestly?" ignored Bookman.

"Of course I have!" assured his grandson. "Hey, I thought you were arriving tomorrow"

"I can't exactly neglect my main job" remarked the old man, glancing at Allen and I.

"Ji-ji!" I waved.

"Hello, Ary" he nodded my way. "It has been a while. Four months, right?"

"I've gotten stronger, you'll see!" I grinned, pumping my fist.

A glint of understanding lightened his gaze and he nodded as Lavi winked at me, before the both of them walked away for some Bookmen stuff.

 _That was clever, Ary._

 _Of course it was. It's_ me _._

 _I'll always be amaze at your incredible modesty._

 _I know, I'm simply perfect._

 _Arrogant much?_

I stifled a laugh, earning a weird look from Link, but I simply grinned at him. My smile quickly fell from my face as a new presence made itself known. I knew he was around, of course. I had simply hoped he wouldn't come to harass us right away.

"Allen Walker" called Leverrier. "I want you to follow my orders from now on"

 _Trickster, the masked guys following him have the same aura as Cupcake and Doll._

 _They must be magicians, or sorcerers, too, then. A special division?_

 _Most likely._

"Aryane Darkelston, you are to report instantly at Hevlaska's chamber to check onto your synch rate" added Leverrier my way.

"Sure" I shrugged. "Kiddo, don't do anything stupid, would you?"

"Coming from you, that's a little hypocritical" he pointed out.

But I could feel his aura getting more and more agitated.

Two of the masked figures came to stand by my sides, apparently there to escort me or whatever, and I stared in wonder at the sparks emanating from them, tempted to touch them.

 _Hime, just don't._

 _Take a chill pill, would you? I'm not about to blow everything up._

 _With you, nothing can be sure._

 _I take offense to that._

 _You do that._

* * *

We entered Hevlaska's new room, and I smiled when I saw the Exorcist in better shape than last time.

"Hev!" I waved, running to meet her.

"Hello, Aryane" she greeted. "You have been well, I presume"

"Awesome" I answered. "And you, feeling better? You weren't exactly in top shape when I left"

"I am fine" she assured. "You must be here to check onto your synch rate"

"That I am. Do your voodoo thingy" I spread my arms to ease her grip.

Her tentacles slithered around my body, lifting me from the platform.

"The last time we checked, right after the attack of the Level Four" her voice echoed around. "You had become a critical Point Braker and reached 101, 2% of synchronization… 107… 113… 125… 129…"

She placed me back down as her tentacles retracted.

"Synchronization rate: 129,8%" she announced. "And it keeps going up at the same rate as before, 0,23% a day"

"Thanks, Hev" I beamed at her.

Then, I turned to the two masked figures, who hadn't move from their spot since we got there.

"Am I allowed to leave now or does the Vatican's bitch still wants something?" I asked.

If they were troubled by the nickname, they didn't show it, simply walking away. Taking that for the confirmation that I was now free, I went on my merry way to find my room and take a nap.

My stomach growled.

 _You're hungry again? Seriously, it's a wonder you don't gain any more weight._

 _You take everything anyway, I've got to sustain myself._

Finally, I think I'm going to eat, then take a nap.

* * *

As I came back from the cafeteria, I felt Allen's aura getting even more distressed than before. Worried –I had a right to be, seeing as he just talked to Cross-, I went after him and managed to find him before he could disappear in his room.

"Kiddo!" I called, quiet enough not to wake up anyone.

"Ary?" he blinked at me, surprised.

"What happened?" I instantly asked, taking his hands. "What did he say?"

"You knowing these things really freak me out sometimes" he chuckled dryly.

"Allen!"

He sighed heavily, and squeezed my hands.

"He told me that Mana was the Fourteenth's brother" he admitted. "That I was a human in which was implanted the Fourteenth's memories"

"W-what?"

"And that when the Fourteenth took control, I would kill someone I care about" the boy added.

I frowned at him, then hit his head as hard as I could.

"Itai! What was that for?" he protested.

"You love Mana, and Mana loved you too" I assured seriously. "I don't know what happened, but-"

 _Ary, let me talk to him._

 _Are you sure?_

 _No one's around._

 _Alright._

"Ary?"

"Let me show you a nice trick" I grinned.

* * *

The girl closed her eyes in concentration, and a few seconds passed by, before she opened them again. However, they weren't green anymore.

They were blue, glowing slightly.

" _Yo"_

"G-Gabriel?" the boy recognized. "H-how…"

" _We switched places for the moment"_ the girl/man shrugged. " _I wanted to talk to you about Mana. You see, what Cross said isn't true. Mana might have known that you would be Nea's Host, but the memories weren't 'implanted' as you put it. Just like Ary and all of the Noah's Hosts, you were born with the possibility of becoming a vessel. You just happened to be the most compatible with Nea, just like Hime happened to be the most compatible with me"_

"But how… how can I know I'm walking my _own_ path? I made the pledge, right? I'm making my own choices, right?"

The Angel placed an hand on his shoulder with a smile.

" _You are Allen, and he is Nea. You will fight for control, yes, but if you stay strong, than his choices won't influence yours. You're your own person, and you are walking down your own path, I can assure you"_

Feeling more at ease, the white-haired teen smiled at his possessed friend.

"Thank you, Gabriel"

 _"_ _Any time, kid. Gotta go, now"_

The glow in her eyes diminished until completely disappearing, and she blinked a few times, back to herself.

* * *

"So, reassured?" I asked.

"Yeah" he nodded. "Thanks, Ary"

"No probs. Still determined to avoid the merge?"

"I'm not like you, Ary" he shook his head. "I can see how much trust you put in Gabriel. You letting him take control just like that is proof enough. But… I can't do that. Not with a Noah, and even less one that seeks control as much as I"

"I understand" I assured honestly. "And don't forget: I'm with all on the whole way"

Apparently unable to help himself, he hugged me. My smile softened, and I hugged back as he shook slightly in my arms.

Right here, right now, he looked like a frightened child in need of support.

 _It must be hard, though, having no one he can really trust with all of this._

 _He can trust me, though. He can trust_ us _._

 _Which is why he's so open with you. Things are moving even faster now. Soon, fate will do it's work and paths will diverge._

 _When it'll happen, I'll be ready._

 _You already are, Hime._

* * *

"Bookboy!"

He caught me in his arms, laughing softly before leaning closer to my face and kissing me. I answered with passion, having missed his touch for the past four months.

"Hey, Tenshi" he grinned.

"I'm glad to see you" I said, smiling too.

"Same. So, what happened? We left, but when we came back, Komui told us you went away for some training with Gabriel" he remarked, sitting down.

I sat in front of him, my left hand still in his.

"Well, we couldn't exactly train at the Order without gaining unwanted attention, and I had to learn how to control my new abilities" I recalled. "So, I asked for permission to leave for three months, in which I travelled around, doing some missions to cover the real reason why I was away"

"You said you grew stronger" he pointed out.

"That I have" my grin widened. "Now, I can feel all the auras on the whole island"

"Really?" he blinked. "Where's Ji-ji?"

"Behind you" I deadpanned.

"Shit!"

I laughed as his grandfather stepped out of the shadows, startling him.

"What does my aura feels like?"

"A panda"

Lavi snorted as Bookman shot me a very unimpressed look, and I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

"Sorry, sorry. But really, it feels like… the ocean? It's smooth, and calm, kind of soothing" I answered.

"I see. Can you extend your range?" he settled next to Lavi.

"I can, but it takes more concentration, and it becomes harder to identify the different auras" I admitted. "Meaning that if I'm not in the same vicinity as the Heart, I won't be able to detect it"

"Last time, when you used your second level, you were wearing some sort of armor" remembered Lavi, curious. "What was it?"

Understanding what he was talking about, I called forth the chainmail and the gauntlets.

"The 'armor' as you put it can deflect anything, more or less, which allows me to extend Shield to others without having to waste it on myself" I precised as they eyed the chainmail with interest. "As for the gauntlets, they allow me to block attacks too, and it gives me more strength. Not as much as Chaozii, though"

"What about the sword you made with your pendant?"

"That's the second level" I nodded, taking it in my hands. "It slices through anything. You see, I didn't have any real attacks before. My main power was to defend, and I had _Spin Rocket_ and _Feathered_ _Blades_ for long-ranged attacks, plus my steeled wings, but I was practically useless in one on ones like against the Level Four. I have my two illusionary techniques, but I can only use them on the Noahs, so I was kind of powerless against Akumas as strong as the last one. This sword makes the balance. It takes a lot of energy, though, but I built my resistance so I can last for around ten to fifteen minutes before having to deactivate it"

 _Oh, I want to say hi!_

 _…_

 _Hime, come on!_

 _…_ _fine. But no bullshit._

 _Aye aye, captain._

I rolled my eyes.

"Trickster wants to talk to you" I told them.

"Talk to us?" repeated Lavi. "You got a mirror with you?"

I sighed, and closed my eyes, letting place to Gabriel.

* * *

Her eyes glowed, and a wide grin suddenly spread on her face.

 _"_ _Hey, Bookmen"_

"Gabriel?" blinked the redhead.

 _"_ _The one and only_ " nodded the possessed girl. _"Just wanted to pop in and say hello"_

"This is interesting" noted Bookman. "If she falls unconscious, would you be able to take control of her body?"

 _"_ _I could"_ he/she admitted. _"But I don't like doing that, this being her body and all. Of course, it's really useful in battle or such, but it's also dangerous. If we stay that way for too long, she run the risks of disappearing in her own subconscious"_

"This is freaking me out" gulped Lavi. "Can she hear us?"

 _"_ _She can"_ confirmed the Angel, a smirk growing on his/her lips. _"But what I really wanted to tell you is that when we were somewhere in India, there was this guy, kind of hot too-"_

He cringed slightly, grabbing his head, but the smirk was still in place.

 _"_ _He tried to woo her, if you see what I mean, and you know what she answered?"_

"I'm all ears" Lavi's smirk was now matching his/her.

The Angel winced again in pain as the girl in his head fought back to gain control and stop him.

 _"_ _She said 'sorry, but I've got a sexy pirate waiting for me'"_

Instantly, the glowing in the eyes died down and the smirk left place to an horrified and clearly embarrassed teenager, her cheeks now matching her hair.

* * *

Lavi burst in laughter as Bookman shook his head in fond exasperation, before getting up.

"I'll leave you two, then" he announced.

"No, Ji-ji, don't abandon me like that!" I pleaded, mortified.

But the old man simply walked away, and I crouched, hiding my head in my knees.

Lavi nudged my shoulder, but I didn't look up.

"Tenshi"

"Go away" I grunted.

"Come on, look at me"

"No" I refused stubbornly.

I could _sense_ his smug smile, and there was no way I was looking at him.

 _Trickster, I hate you so, so much right now._

 _Who cares? This is so worth it._

Suddenly, the redhead started tickling my sides. Unable to stop myself, I stated laughing, wriggling to get out of his grasp.

"L-Lavi! Lavi, let me go!" I struggled, choking on my laughs. "La-"

His lips were suddenly back on mine as he stopped moving his fingers on my waist, and I deepened the embrace without thinking. After two minutes of making out, he pulled away, his eternal grin in place.

"If it helps, you're my sexy angel" he nuzzled my neck.

"Moron" I swatted his head.

"I'm your moron, though" he pointed out proudly.

"That you are"

I then felt something cold wrap around my neck, and I blink in surprised at the new pendant now leaning on my chest next to the feather and my father's button.

It was a pan flute.

"What-"

"You turned eighteen, right?" remembered the boy with a smile. "Happy belated birthday"

"Aw, thanks!" I grinned, examining it closer. "It's beautiful, I love it!"

"I'm glad then"

We leaned closer into another heated kiss, putting away any worries for a while and Gabriel kindly locking himself away in the back of my mind to give us some privacy. We had to go ten minutes later, though. I knew the Inspector would be looking for me, and risking him finding me with Lavi would only bring unnecessary questions. So, now alone, I was heading back to my new room, feeling better than I had been for a while now. As I walked down the hallway, though, Leverrier and the masked group from sooner made their appearance.

"I learned about your synchronization rate, Miss Aryane" he announced, stopping in front of me.

"Satisfy, Leverrier?" I lifted an eyebrow, an hand on my hips. "You should be. You've got a strong Exorcist on your side"

"It is not the strength that worries me, but the one handling it" he replied, snarky.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I narrowed my eyes.

He straightened.

"You have a blatant disrespect for rules and protocols, don't listen to your superiors and have a growing strength that must be hard to control" he resumed. "Otherwise said, you're a wild card in our ranks, which is quite worrying. We can't afford a free runner in the Order, and even less as an Exorcist"

"I have a job as 'Protector and Savior', Leverrier" I sneered. "I intend to do it"

"But you showed no allegiance to the Black Order, merely to the people working there" he pointed out. "If they were to go, what would _you_ do?"

"Are you talking about Allen Walker?" I realized, my voice growing colder. "Because he is no traitor"

"We'll see if your point of view changes tomorrow then" he shrugged, making his move to walk away.

"What? What do you mean?" I frowned, spinning around to see his back retreating.

"I merely wanted to warn you, Miss Aryane" he said with a sick glint his his eyes. "Have a good night"

I clenched my fists as he turned the corner with the four masked dudes.

 _I hate this man so much. He's probably going to tell everyone about Allen's situation._

 _But you'll be there._

 _That I will. I won't let him destroy our friendship so easily, you can be sure of that._

 _Oh, I am. By the way, Link was with them._

 _I know. Guess he really is one of them, eh? That's too bad, I was starting to like him._

 _You like everyone that gives you food._

 _True, true._

* * *

I woke up, terrified. I couldn't feel the auras around me.

Getting out of my bed, I concentrated, but even Gabriel wasn't answering my calls. Getting more and more worried by the minute, I ran out of my room. Where was everyone? They couldn't just be gone like that, there must have been someone!

The first thing I could think of was finding my friends. Lenalee's room was the closest but, when I opened the door, she wasn't there. Panicking, I went to the next one, which was Allen's.

He wasn't there either.

My heartbeat getting faster by the second, Gabriel staying silent and an horrifying emptiness in the back of my mind, I slammed inside Lavi's room.

The redhead instantly got up, hair disheveled and his single eye still hazy from the sleep I had just woken him from.

He's here.

Lavi's still here.

 _I'm not alone._

"Ary?"

Unable to stop myself, I jumped into his arms. He barely caught me, and I hugged him desperately. I could feel him in my arms, I could feel his own around my shaking body as his voice muttering soothing words that I couldn't understand in my distressed state, but it still wasn't right.

"Ary" I finally managed to hear him say. "Ary, what's happening?"

"Your aura isn't there" I whispered, seriously freaked out. "Lenalee and Allen aren't in their rooms and I can't feel any aura and Gabriel isn't there anymore and I thought everyone had disappeared and-"

Choking on my own sharp intakes of breaths, I snuggled closer into his arms.

He's real. He's there.

But… where's his aura?

Where's Gabriel?

As I wouldn't let go and wasn't able to utter anything else in my current state, he simply hold me until tiredness caught on to me and enveloped me in it's cloak of darkness.

* * *

 **YEAH! _HALLOW!_ So, some Lavi/Ary fluff, Ary's now a big girl and I explained more her Innocence. Also, there was a four months time skip, as you read, but only three of them were passed training away.**

 **Question: With who do you NOT ship Ary?**

 **Reviews!**


	37. Paris, City Of Light And Innocence

**Whew! As of now, this is my longest chapter! It contains the entire G-Thief Arc, though, so yeah.**

 **Answer: Leverrier, Krory, Sheryl. Like, just no.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When I woke up again, the sun was lazily getting up upon Headquarters. Lavi was holding me, and it took me a few seconds to remember what had transpired sooner.

Instantly, I concentrated again, and felt relief wash so hard over me my whole body trembled.

The slight move caused my boyfriend to wake up, and he shot me a worried look.

"Ary?" he muttered. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm sorry" I said in the same tone, leaning onto him. "Something happened last night… I couldn't feel any aura and when I came to check up on Lenalee, she wasn't there, so I went to Allen's room but he wasn't there either, and seeing as Gabriel wasn't answering and I couldn't even feel his presence, I panicked and your room was next so when I saw you…"

I trailed off as he his grip tightened.

"We're all here, Ary" he assured. "Allen and Lenalee both fell asleep in one of the living rooms with Johnny. Why don't you try calling Gabriel again?"

"Right"

 _Gab?_

 _Hey, Hime._

I instantly relaxed at his voice, and the redhead did the same, obviously understanding the disappearance of my stiffness.

 _What the hell was that? You scared the crap out of me!_

 _Michael was here._

 _What!?_

 _I didn't have the time to warn you so I locked myself as far back as I could. That way, your aura came back to an Exorcist's one and didn't attract his attention. It also refrained you from feeling the other's, though, but we couldn't risk him finding out about you yet._

 _Where is he now?_

 _Not here, that's for sure. I'm sorry for the panic, I just couldn't warn you, and you aren't ready to face him yet._

 _It's alright. At least I know everyone's alright, and I'll know not to loose control if it happens again._

Glad that everything came back to normal somewhat, I allowed myself to take a few breaths.

"Apocryphos was here last night" I then informed the older boy, making him tense. "Trickster locked himself away so that we wouldn't be spotted, but it stopped me to sense the other's auras, that's why I couldn't feel yours, even when I was literally against you. Sorry for worrying you"

"Nan, don't sweat it" he shook his head, frowning slightly. "It's troubling, though. I can guess he left by now, but what was he doing here in the first place?"

"His main targets are Exorcists" I recalled, a chill running down my spine. "Shit!"

Concentrating to get back a feel of the auras, I managed to find all my friend's, but one was clearly missing.

"Cross' isn't there" I paled.

"Crap!"

Both getting out of bed, I went out first to the Marshall's room as he ran to find his grandfather to inform him of the situation.

* * *

The morning was still in its early hours but when I finally got to my destination, there were already a few people inside. Stumbling in front of the door, I came in as Komui, Leverrier and Allen turned to me. The last one was in shock, Komui was frowning and Leverrier was narrowing his eyes at me. However, I really couldn't care right now, my eyes frozen onto the broken window and the blood smearing the glass and the carpet, a broken mask tainted with red and _Judgment_ lying on the floor.

There was no sign of Cross.

Feeling sick at the amount of crimson liquid, I looked away, and hand over my mouth. I never really liked Cross but, despite everything, I respected him as a fellow Exorcist. His methods were unorthodox and his morals seriously lacking, but he got the job done and honestly cared about Allen despite the appearances, which I greatly appreciated.

But now… he was gone. Dead.

He wouldn't come back.

Quickly recovering a calm façade, I caught Komui's hopeful glance, but shook my head in a negative gesture, which made his traits darkened.

"Exorcist Aryane" called Leverrier. "How have you known to come here?"

"I didn't" I refuted instantly. "Cross pulled a bad joke on me and I wanted to punch him"

"He never left his room to 'pull this bad joke', as you put it" he pointed out.

"Uh?" I played dumb. "So how the hell was I woken up by a fucking horn in… my… room… fuck, that must have been Lavi's doing, stupid ass…"

Then, I frowned at the window, as if just remarking the current state of the whole room.

"The hell happened here? It's Cross's room, but… fuck, did he just commit suicide on us?" I asked around.

"This is what we are trying to uncover, Miss Aryane" sneered Leverrier. "If you and Allen Walker here would clear the crime scene now…"

"Of course" I scrunched my nose, grabbing Allen's sleeve. "Come on, Kiddo"

Still in a shocked state, I managed to pull him out without much difficulty.

 _Michael got him first, then._

 _I can't believe he's actually dead, though. And in a way, I feel sick. I should have been able to prevent it. Aren't I the 'Protector and Savior'? He got fricking assassinated as I was having a panic attack. Some savior I am._

 _Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm the one who blocked your abilities. Plus, if you had intervened, then we'd both be dead by now._

 _Doesn't mean I have to like, though. Cross was one of us. I won't forgive your brother for this._

 _I'm not asking you to either._

"Ary…" Allen's voice snapped me out of my silent conversation. "Is he really dead?"

"It was Apocryphos" I admitted in a low tone. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything"

He frowned, but said no more.

 _With Michael making his appearance after so many years…_

 _I know. Soon, the paths of all our friends will diverge towards different destinies as my own awaits._

 _I'm with you, though. As you said, we started this together, and we're going to end this together._

 _No matter the price I have to pay, my friends will be safe. I swear it._

* * *

"It has turned out that Allen Walker has the memories of a Noah named the Fourteenth and that he is his Host" announced Leverrier.

I clenched my fists. Of course he'd fucking tell everyone right after Cross's death.

"However, officially, he'll continue to be a member of the Order's Headquarters and to work as an Exorcist" pursued the damned man. "The Order needs his ability as the Player right now and, at the same time, we cannot afford to loose any more of our forces"

 _He's going to say something stupid. I know he will._

 _Hime, breath._

 _I seriously want to hit him._

 _It'll be considered treason._

 _I don't care._

There was a slight pull on my muscles as the Angel warned me not to do anything rash, and I could see Leverrier's sick glee in his snake's eyes.

"Hence, Central has decided that'll keep a Noah in our ranks for a while" he resumed.

I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him…

"Nii-san, is that true?" asked Lenalee, worry etched over her features.

"Supervisor Komui" warned the Inspector at his silence.

"As of now, Exorcists are under an indefinite assignment" Komui cleared his throat. "If Allen Walker awakens as the Fourteenth, and is considered to be a threat to us…"

I gritted my teeth as he struggled to finish his sentence.

"If that should happen, please kill me" concluded Allen, composed.

Everyone stiffened, turning to him, and Miranda inched away from me as my bloodlust went up a notch.

"But it won't happen" assured the white-haired teen. "If the Fourteenth attacks the Order, I will stop him a-"

"This is fucking insanity here, people!" I finally lost control, gaining their attention.

"Ary-"

"Allen is our friend!" I insisted. "There is no need for such extensive measures! He won't let the Fourteenth take control and as his friends and fellow Exorcists, it is our duty to help him!"

I then turned to face Leverrier.

"I don't fucking care about what you say, _Inspector_ " I sneered. "You are trying to disrupt the trust between each of us by your stupid manipulations, but you know what? It won't happen because we're much more than machines and weapons, and we ain't about to betray our friend just like Allen isn't about to betray us. And you know what else? _Fuck_ _you_ "

And with that, chin held high, I walked out of the room. If I didn't, I would more than probably have lost what little control I had left over my actions and sent Leverrier to hell with one of my punches.

 _You just had to add the last one, didn't you?_

 _Hey, he deserved it._

 _Damn right he did. I'm fucking proud of you._

 _I think he won't let this one slide._

 _Same. Fucking worth it, though._

 _Couldn't have said it better._

* * *

"You just had to open your damn mouth, didn't you?" sighed Komui, rubbing his temples.

"He's a fucking asshole" I huffed, crossing my arms.

"He's still in a superior position" he pointed out. "He's already trying to find a way to get you locked up for potential insubordination, and while I'm fighting back, you're not exactly helping your case"

"Allen is no traitor, and I will take on anyone who dare say otherwise" I remarked, my voice as cold as ice.

"I know that, Ary" he seemed so tired for a moment, I almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

The doors to his office opened, and Kanda, Marie, Allen and Link walked in.

"Yo" I greeted.

The first one scoffed, the big man nodded my way, Allen smiled at me and the blond eyed me with something I couldn't quite place.

 _It seems like he's suspicious of you, but struggling with some sort of respect too._

 _He's a good guy, Trickster. He's just caught up between his loyalty to Leverrier and Central and his true feelings towards Kiddo's situation._

"Exorcist Aryane" the blond called. "From now on, you are under suspicion of a potential mutiny against Central. You are sent on this mission as a test of loyalty towards the Order. Any form of insubordination will find you guilty of potential treason"

 _Or he's sent to investigate you, too._

 _Fuck my life._

* * *

"Ary, this is crazy! What were you thinking!?"

I rolled my eyes, shifting in my seat. Now heading for Paris to retrieve a group of Finders that had disappeared, Allen was letting go of pretty much all his pent up frustration.

On me, that is.

"Do you even understand your situation?" he insisted. "You're one hair from being incarcerated for _treason!"_

"Yeah, I heard it the first time" I winced at his tone of voice. "Keep it down, would you? I'm starting to get a headache…"

"You really don't care, do you?" he finally gave up with a sigh.

"It's not that I don't care, but more that I won't turn my back on my values just for Leverrier's or Central's aspirations of grandeur or whatever" I replied. "And my values include my friends"

"This could be considered as a declaration of war to Central" the Inspector pointed out.

"This is loyalty, Link. I'm sure even _you_ can understand that" I replied icily.

He seemed to falter at the lack of nickname, but I really couldn't care less right now. It's not so much at him that I was angry, but if he tried to stand in my way, he would get burn, that he could be certain of.

There was a knock on the door, and Kanda made his way inside.

"We're here" he simply announced.

* * *

"Ne, Ary, weren't you living in Paris before coming to the Order?" asked Marie as we walked down the streets.

"Yeah"

I gazed around with some sort of nostalgia. I knew these streets like no one else did but, in a way, it all seemed different somehow.

 _Then again, it's been seven years since you came here. Things were bound to change._

 _I guess they were._

My step faltered as we passed a house, and I couldn't help but stare. It was like all the others around, but you could clearly make out a few burn marks on the now repaired walls, and an easily recognizable dent on the stairs was half-covered by a carpet.

"Ary?"

Surprised, I turned at Allen's voice and realized they all had stopped in their tracks and were looking at me.

Shaking my head, I quickly joined them.

"Don't mind me, just some nostalgia" I smiled, waving it off.

None of them seemed very convinced, but they dropped it anyway.

 _Are you alright, Hime?_

 _The past is the past, Trickster. I regret nothing._

 _Doesn't mean you have to like it._

 _I never said I did._

* * *

The police station came in view, and I fully stopped in my tracks this time.

"Err… guys?"

"What is it, Ary?" asked Marie, just next to me.

"Are we going in the police station?" I asked, getting more nervous.

"The Finders are there" Allen pointed out.

"Right… err, you see, I kind of never told anyone when I left for the Order?" I scratched the back of my head. "The police marked me as kidnapped and there's this one police guy who-"

" _TOI!?_ "

"Totally jinxed it" I grunted.

Someone roughly grabbed my shoulder and I found myself facing the one and only Inspector Galmar, who was sporting a funny mix of disbelief and anger.

" _T-toi!_ " he repeated.

" _Est-ce que tu pourrais me lâcher?"_ I cringed a little when his grip tightened.

" _C'est hors de question!_ " He started pulling me behind him.

"Fuck! _Lâche moi, espèce d'attardé! T'es en train de m'arracher le bras!"_

 _"_ _Je m'en fiche! Ça fait sept putains d'années que j'essaie de te retrouver, et voilà que tu te pointes sur le pas de ma porte! Tu ne t'en sortiras pas si facilement cette fois, et on va mettre cette foutue histoire au clair une bonne foie pour toute!"_

 _"_ _Mais j'ai pas le temps! Bordel, je suis plus une gamine non plus!"_ I struggled.

In a burst of strength, I managed to free myself from his grasp and stumbled into Allen's arm, who was watching the whole ordeal with confusion.

"Ary, who's he?"

"Inspector Galmar, who was in charge of my case when I was 'kidnapped'" I rolled my eyes. "He managed to catch me once before I reach Headquarters seven years ago, but I slipped through his fingers and he never heard of me since. I think he's still sore about it"

Red of rage, the man took a step towards me, but Kanda suddenly stood between the two of us.

"We were sent here to retrieve a group of Finders you have incarcerated" he announced coldly. "Where are they?"

"W-who're you?" he stuttered with a heavy accent.

Then, his eyes landed on the insignia on the he-she samurai's chest. Backing away slightly, he gaped openly at my own uniform.

"The Black Order…" he recognized.

"A group of our men were arrested a few days ago" I said, dusting myself. "Would you be so kind as to lead us to them?"

"B-but…"

"I will answer whatever question you deem necessary, but now is not the time, Gadget" I pursued. "We're here on an official mission, we don't exactly have the time to chitchat"

He seemed about to protest, turning purple, but finally gave in and made a motion for us to follow. As soon as he passed ahead, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in.

"Damn, I didn't need this" I sighed.

"He seems… quite invested, in his job" Allen remarked.

"Yeah, more than you think" I snorted. "He can be nice when he wants, but he's a workaholic through and through, so he doesn't really have time for his family…"

"Ary, are you sure you're okay?" he frowned.

"Why are you asking?" I blinked. "I'm totally super-duper fine, really"

 _I thought you didn't like lying._

 _I'm not lying._

 _Even I am not convinced, Hime. Don't fucking try._

 _I'm just tired, okay? Give me a break._

He didn't answer, and we finally went inside the police department.

* * *

I placed an hand over my mouth to stifle my laughs, quite in vain if the looks Kanda shot me were any clues.

The cells were absolutely full of people. However, said people were all wearing the same ridiculous outfit, and I really felt bad for them at the same time.

"EXORCISTS-SAMA!"

At the familiar voice, we all turned to one of the cells and found Jiji Lujun, in the same state as all the others.

"Hipster!" I grinned.

"Ary!" he seemed ready to burst in tears.

"What happened?" asked coldly Kanda.

* * *

"Why am I the one who has to be on the roof?" I grunted, shivering. "It's fucking cold"

 **"** **You're the only one who can reach it, Ary"**

"You're just a bunch of lazy asses" I replied to the white-haired teen. "And I can't see our target anywhere, though. Cherub, any sign of our Phantom Thief?"

 **"** **Nothing"**

Kanda, Marie and Allen all knew about my ability to sense the presences, but seeing as Link was there too, I couldn't openly use it. So, we decided to use the big man's ears for now.

 _What exactly are we waiting for, though? Hipster told us it was Innocence, but that it was a Ghost…_

 _I think I know what we're going against, but I have to see for sure._

 _Warn me if anything happens._

 **"** **Can you hear me, Beansprout, Akahato?"**

"Seven on five, Jerkface. Unfortunately" I assured.

 **"** **Fe namfe's Ashen"**

 **"** **Stuff it, Akahato, and stop eating, Beansprout. It's about time. Don't let the Paris' Police take our prey before your eyes"**

 **"** **It's not our prey, Kanda, it's Phantom Thief G."**

 **"** **Roger that"**

"Just do your damn jobs" I huffed.

Then, I glanced down at the paper in my hands.

 _"_ _I will pay a visit this evening to 'Regent', a national heirloom in the possession of the Louvre Museum. Sincerely, Phantom Thief G."_

 _This is so weird. Who'd warn when they're about to commit a crime?_

 _The kind that are convinced they're not going to get caught, Hime. He doesn't know about us, though._

 _That's too bad for him, then. He won't escape us once I get a feel of his Innocence._

 _About that, if he really is who I think he is, then it won't-_

"G'S HERE!"

The alert went of as a man with the weird outfit broke through one of the windows, the crown in his hands. I frowned.

I couldn't see or feel his aura.

 _I'll explain later, just be sure Marie can retrace him._

 _Got it._

Glancing down, I saw the Phantom Thief running away, but Kanda made him trip with his sword.

 **"** **Oi, petty thief. Got a minute?"**

 **"** **Kanda, don't break the crown, okay?"**

 **"** **What a pain"**

The asshole caught the crown, before hitting the costumed man straight in the head, sending him to dreamland.

 **"** **Got him"**

But of course, Galmar had to come running in. As Kanda handled him, though, I realized that the aura of our target was back, but it just felt like a civilian's.

 _That's what I thought. Hime, our thief isn't physically here. His mind takes control of other's, gaining their bodies and abilities. He must be in someone else right now._

 _That sounded really wrong._

 _Just fucking find him._

Scanning the crowd, I could feel each person present, and I narrowed my eyes. Could he have left?

A movement to my right caught my eye, and I saw him as he started laughing.

 **"** **We got him. Ary, get ready for an ambush"**

"Roger that, Kiddo" I agreed.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but I'll never get caught!" cheered the masked man.

"Guys, be careful, he got the crown" I warned through my Golem.

 **"** **Got it"**

Allen jumped out of his hiding place as I circled around to get a better position. I couldn't use my Innocence, seeing as there were too many civilians, so I'd have to fight bare hands.

 _Am I glad that you trained me or what?_

 _While I'm flattered, don't push yourself. You're not at the same level as the others in hand-to-hand combat._

 _Don't rub it in, would you?_

Phantom Thief G suddenly threw the crown away, making everyone panic.

"I got it! Take care of our thief!" I exclaimed, jumping on the roofs.

 **"** **Hai!"**

Running as fast as I could –our budget wouldn't be able to handle the damage caused to the artifact-, I nearly threw myself off the roof to catch the damn object before it could fall to it's doom.

Grabbing the gutter to stop my own fall, I let out a breath of relief, before climbing back to safety with the crown in hands.

 **"** **Allen? Allen, what's going on?"**

Blinking in surprise, I looked in the boy's way, only to find him… fighting Link?

 _He got possessed, Hime._

 _Damn, Cupcake sure is strong despite appearances._

 _He's clearly one of the elites. No wonder Leverrier put him on Allen's case._

"Hey, you!"

At the blond's voice, I blinked. It seemed almost childish, which was weird considering it was in Link's body. Allen was nowhere to be found anymore.

"What, want to play with me too?" I asked, slowly backing away.

"Give me back the crown, would you? I don't want to hurt such a pretty lady" he said, making his way to me.

Unable to stop myself, I snorted. I knew it wasn't the Inspector, but _damn_ , what I'd give to see his face if he could hear himself right now.

 _Hime, not the time._

 _Sorry._

"Sorry, no can do" I shook my head. "Mind freeing this body? 'Cause I'm not sure he agreed for you to hitch a ride in his head"

"No way, this guy's awfully strong!" he protested. "Wanna see?"

Glowing papers suddenly shot from his sleeves and, before I could react, I was trapped into some sort of barrier, my body feeling so heavy I struggled not to collapsed.

 _The hell's happening?_

 _Must be Link's abilities._

 _I can't move!_

"Bind!" he cackled.

"Fuck!"

Lightning stroke, and I nearly stumbled off the roof. Someone caught me in time, and I glanced at Kanda, panting and my muscles awfully sore.

"Thanks, Jerkface" I nodded.

"Don't think it'll happen again" he grunted.

"I thought his strength was his mind" Allen pointed out, joining us. "But he's strong"

"He's some sort of magician" I informed. "I could feel his aura. It's the same as the masked guys that escorted us when we came back"

"He's a CROW" announced Kanda. "It's a combat unit that belongs to Central. It is said that their training begins in childhood, so they have a gratuitously high level of fighting power"

"How the hell do you know that?" my eyes widened. "I've been wondering for months but Komui wouldn't talk!"

He just shrugged, and a scream was heard behind.

"It wasn't me!" the second guy who was possessed exclaimed. "I swear I didn't do it!"

"This is crazy!" retorted Galmar, shaking him by his collar. "Take him away!"

"No, it wasn't me! It wasn't me, I swear! Let me go!"

The Link/G started laughing, and my eyes narrowed at him as Allen grew tenser.

"Is something funny?" he asked coldly.

"Hm? That looks funny, right?" smiled the blond. "He's an adult and yet he's acting like that"

"And you act like a fucking brat" I retorted, now annoyed.

Instantly, he stopped laughing, anger brewing in his eyes.

"What?"

"I said you act like a fucking brat" I repeated. "These men might loose their future because you thought fun to possess them to do whatever the hell you want, and that's akin to a fucking child tantrum. You're _low_ , brat. Lower than any dirt I've ever walk on"

"S-shut up!" he yelled, running at me.

Instantly, the two boys were in front of me.

"Ary, get the crown away" ordered Allen. "We can take him"

"Make him cry" I simply said, before running away.

I could feel their puzzled looks on my back as I quickly made my way down the roof to join with Marie. There were then a few explosions, signs the two were going all out –more or less- on the Link/G. However, as I reached the last stair, loud cries were heard.

I snorted.

"Will that be enough, Cherub?" I asked at the Golem.

 **"** **It's perfect, Ary. Good thinking"**

"Anyt- fuck!"

My head stung, sending me collapse against a wall. Rubbing my temples, I felt myself slip in my mindscape without any control.

* * *

Once fully inside, I found Gabriel rubbing his knuckles roughly against a blue-haired kid's skull, while said kid kept crying.

"Whoa, whoa, what the hell's happening here!" I intervened, separating the two.

"You tell me, crazy lady!" protested the kid, sniffing. "I get in your head and I find another guy!"

"Yeah, it's kind of full already" I sweatdropped. "You're our infamous Phantom Thief G, than?"

At my words, he froze, before disappearing. Sighing, I turned to Gabriel, who had a sulking frown on his face.

"Everything's okay?" I asked.

 _"_ _The brat gave me a headache"_ he grunted.

"Suck it up, you oversized baby" I rolled my eyes. "I'm going back now. Thanks for the protection"

 _"_ _Whatever_ "

I closed my eyes and, when I opened them again, I realized Marie was crouching next to me.

"Eh? The hell happened?" My voice sounded hazy.

"You just collapsed" informed my friend with the headphones. "Are you feeling alright?"

"The kid tried to possess me, but Gabriel stopped him" I answered. "But yeah, I'm okay. Did you manage to locate his position?"

"I got him" he assured.

"Sweet"

Getting up, I then realized I still had the crown in hands, and we could hear the confused screams not far from our position. Grinning sheepishly at Marie, who just shook his head with a fond smile, we went back to everyone.

"Hey, Gadget!" I called, gaining Galmar's attention.

He turned to me just in time to catch the crown.

"Thank you" he grunted.

"Cherub got his location" I told the other two. "Should we get moving?"

"Ary, it's night" Allen pointed out, Link leaning on him for support. "And Link isn't in shape to move right now. We should go tomorrow morning"

I exchanged a glance with the other two. Marie shrugged, Kanda scoffed and that was that.

"Okay, sure" I gave in. "Oi, Gadget! If you want to ask questions, it'll have to wait tomorrow. I'll pass in the evening to the station, got it?"

He seemed about to protest, than sighed and waved it off, apparently to tired by the whole situation to argue.

Satisfied, I lead everyone to an inn for us to pass the night.

* * *

The next morning, we were back to work.

"Hearst Orphanage…" Allen read. "Are you sure this is the place, Marie?"

"Yeah, G's crying voice disappeared here" assured the blind man.

There was suddenly a high pitched scream but before we could react, the door slammed open and the kid that was in my head a few hours sooner came crashing into the white-haired teen.

Both landed on the sidewalk rather harshly as a blonde and familiar girl stepped out, horrified.

"Wah! I used the self-defense technique Dad taught me again!" she realized.

"What are you doing?" Link crouched next to Allen.

"Itai…" the boy mumbled, sitting up.

I narrowed my eyes. His aura had disappeared.

 _They must have switched place when their foreheads collided._

 _Meaning the brat can't control it well. Just great._

 _At least we know it's Innocence, now. And I even know what. Or rather who._

 _The hell are you blabbering about?_

 _"_ I'M BLEEDING! I'M BLEEDING!"

And I sweatdropped, before something suddenly clicked in my mind. Turning back to the blonde girl, it took me a few seconds to recognize her.

"Emi-chan!"

She jumped out of her skin, before turning to me, wide eyes.

"A-Ary? Ary!"

Running down the stairs, the girl latched her arms around my neck, hugging me so tightly I was afraid I'd black out.

"C-choking…" I choked.

"Sorry!"

She let me go, and I took in a few breaths as she chuckled sheepishly.

"I can't believe it! It's really you!" she exclaimed. "I thought you weren't coming back! What changed your mind?"

"The brat here" I nodded in the boy's direction. "Do you have a moment? We've got some explaining to do"

"Sure, come in!"

* * *

"Timothy has been stealing by using other people's bodies?" repeated the Superior Mother in disbelief.

"Hai. It seems he has the ability to take over other's bodies with his mind and control them" nodded Marie.

"Are you serious?"

"You know, that does sound crazy when you put it that way" I remarked. "But Emi-chan, remember when I had to leave? I jumped from the roof, remember?"

"Well, yeah but-"

"You saw them" I recalled. "I remember your expression, I know you did back then. What, did you think it was your mind playing tricks? Because it wasn't. All of this is as real as you and me"

She bit her lower lip, looking away.

"This is a waste of time" grunted Kanda.

"Don't be rude, Jerkface" I whacked his arm.

"Shut up, Akahato"

"I apologize for my partner, he's not good at talking" quickly apologized Marie with a nervous smile.

"More like he lacks any sort of social skill" I rolled my eyes.

He hit my head, and I glared at him.

"Superior Mother, do you know about the sphere on Timothy's forehead?" asked Cherub, bringing back the conversation on tracks.

"Hai. His father was a thief and was arrested by Inspector Galmar" recalled the woman. "One day, in order to hide his crime, he made little Timothy swallow his loot. When the Inspector took him into the police's care and brought him here, he already looked like this"

I felt sick. What kind of father would do that to his own child?

 _Hime, not every kid can have a loving family._

 _I know, but it doesn't mean I understand._

"I see" Marie hummed. "His ability may have been caused by the sphere. You see, we've been searching for something called Innocence. Could you allow us to check and see if the sphere is indeed what we are searching for?"

"Wait a second!" intervened Emilia. "If it is indeed this Innocence you're talking about, what're you going to do with him?"

"We can't let him stay here" answered flatly Kanda. "We'll take him in at the Black Order and have him become an Exorcist"

"No way!" protested instantly the boy. "Don't you decide my future for me!"

"Timothy…"

"You guys are just like my dad!" he sneered. "You treat me like a thing… I wanna stay here! I won't go even if it costs me my life!"

"What about theirs?"

My voice had snapped in the air, cold and sharp, and he shot me a startled and confused look.

"W-what…"

"What about their lives?" I repeated, nodding to Emilia and the Superior Mother. "We're not the only ones after the Innocence. Our enemy is dangerous, and knows no bounds or morals. He'll come for your fragment and kill anyone present just for the fun of it. Are you ready to take on this burden? Are you ready to endanger those you consider family out of selfish wants?"

He was gaping at me, fear creeping in his wide eyes, and he started shaking.

"I… I…"

"We're not your enemies, Timothy. In the end, the choice is yours" I assured. "There's no good or bad one. Just make sure you don't regret it"

"Ary, that's enough" frowned Allen.

I huffed, before leaning against the window. However, as soon as I gazed outside, dread settled in my guts as the sun disappeared.

"They're here!" I exclaimed, getting away from the window.

"My eye didn't react!" paled Allen.

"They must have some sorcerers with them" I shook my head. "We have to get the kid out of here now!"

"But we-"

Feeling the attack coming just before it could it, I activated _Archangel_ and spread my wings around Timothy, Emilia and the Superior Mother, knowing the others could easily avoid it.

Just in time, too. There was an explosion, but I barely felt the blow, and then retreated my wings in my back.

The blonde girl gazed in wonder.

"They _are_ real…" she whispered.

"Looks like we're trapped inside some sort of barrier" announced Kanda, unsheathing his katana.

"Are you an angel?" asked the older woman.

I smiled a little, and placed an hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not" I shook my head. "But I'm here to protect you. I-"

An horribly familiar feeling made my stomach twist as a new presence made itself known just outside the building.

"Level Four" I gritted my teeth. "Change of plans. I-"

"Mother, it hurts…"

"I'm scared…"

"Mother…"

 _Fuck, the kids!_

 _Hime, they can take care of the Akuma. Go get them to safety._

 _Right._

"Guys, I leave it to you, I'll take care of the kids!" I called.

"Hai!"

As I flew as fast as I could to the group of children, there was a snarl just behind me, but I didn't look, knowing they had my back.

Landing in front of the group, I crouched to their level with a smile I hoped was reassuring.

"I'm here to help, little ones" I assured. "Come on, we have to go to safety"

"Are you an angel?" asked a little girl, hugging a stuffed animal against her.

For a moment, I was about to answer the same as before but, seeing their frightened stances, I let it drop for now.

"Yeah, I am" I nodded, still smiling. "And I'm here to protect everyone, alright? If you listen, then we'll all be fine. I promise"

They all got back on their feet, wiping their tears, and I picked up two of the youngest, a third one climbing on my back.

"Is there a basement?" I asked to the girl from sooner.

"Down the stairs" she confirmed.

"Then let's go, we have to move fast and without a noise, alright?" I beamed at them. "It's like a big game of hide and seek. If we stay quiet and hidden, then the bad guys won't find us and we'll win! Do you want to play with me?"

They all smiled back, nodding earnestly, and we made our way as silent as possible towards the stairs while the three other took care of the Level Four. A minute later or so, we crossed paths with Emilia, the Superior Mother, Timothy and Link.

"Exorcist Aryane, you are to return to the battlefield this instant" he frowned when he spotted me. "This is a Level Four. We need all the fighting power we can get-"

"I'm not leaving them" I instantly refused. "I promised to protect them, and the three of them are strong enough to take it down without me"

"This is a direct order-"

"I don't care!" I snapped. "These innocents are in danger and hell if I let anything happen to them! I'm a protector before a warrior, Inspector Howard Link, and I'll do my damn job even if it's the last thing I do!"

He took a step back, startled at my outburst, and I used this momentum to pass by him and lead the kids to the basement. However, barely two steps farther, another of the Mothers of the orphanage stood in hour way.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I placed down the three kids and pushed them behind me.

"Link, get them out of here" I ordered.

"What-"

"Now, for fuck's sakes!"

He gritted his teeth, before obeying the order and leading everyone in the opposite way. Knowing they'd be safe for a while, I faced the woman.

"Braker, uh?" I realized. "You're disgusting"

"I do what I gotta do, Exorcist" she snarled. "But now, with an Host here, the Earl will give even more than usual…"

"Don't bet on it. Feathered Blades!"

Her eyes widened as my blades pierced through her body and blood splattered the walls. She collapsed to her knees, eying me with sheer fear.

"You're an… Exorcist" she coughed. "You can't… kill… humans…"

"You're not human anymore, though" I replied blankly. "Barely a shadow of what was once a human. May you find whatever peace you deserve"

Her body shook, before hitting the floor in a gurgle.

 _You don't regret it._

 _I_ can't _regret it. Her soul had already been lost. She was merely another puppet of the Earl._

 _You really ought to do it more cleanly, though. It'll be a drag to get the blood out._

 _Hey, I had to do it fast, okay?_

There were screams, making my blood freeze.

It came from the kid's direction.

 _Run!_

So I did.

Made three meters before an explosion sent me crashing through the wall.

* * *

"Lady! Hey, lady!"

"Inno… cence?" I blinked at the weird guy before me. "Timothy? Is that you?"

Emilia helped me up, but I couldn't take my eyes of the kid before me. He was wearing some sort of armor, and I really couldn't tell what he was supposed to look like. Then, I saw his body lying farther away.

"Wait, did you take control of an Akuma?" I realized. "The hell were you thinking? And where's everyone? There was an explosion and…"

"They were turned into dolls" answered the boy, looking down. "Just like Two Spot there"

I snapped my head at the second body, and suddenly felt really sick at the sight. Link looked like a puppet, his mouth articulated and his skin hard and easy to break.

 _He's still alive._

 _Thank God._

 _Look to your right_.

Obeying, I nearly jumped away in surprise at the man towering behind what seemed to be Timothy in an Akuma body.

"Who're you?" I asked.

"Eh? She can see you?" exclaimed the kid, turning to the man. "I thought I was the only one who could see you!"

"Guys, what are you talking about?" Emilia frowned.

"Later" I shook my head.

 _"_ _I am Tsukikami"_ he presented himself with a little bow. _"Or Timothy's Innocence, if you prefer"_

 _Just as I thought. He's the only_ conscious _piece of Innocence, to make things simple._

"We'll talk about this later" I sighed. "You two, don't worry. They're still alive. If we destroy the Akumas, everything will go back to normal"

At the same time, two of them walked out by the hole in the wall.

"Level Three and Two, uh? Emilia, you take Link's and Timothy's body away and stay hidden. Timothy, are you up for a first battle?"

"I can do it!" he assured, pumping his fists.

"Good attitude" I nodded. "Tsukikami, you can guide him, right? I won't be able to watch his back all along"

 _"_ _I got him_ "

"Then let's go kick some Akuma asses" I cracked my knuckles. "I leave the rabbit to you, kid"

"Hai!"

 _Are you going to use your second level?_

 _No. I want him to give his all, and if he sees how outmatched he is compared to the rest of us, he won't work as much. He has to realize his potential, even if it's through mistakes._

 _Good point. Don't get too beaten up, though. Healing you is such a drag._

 _Fuck you._

 _Ask Lavi first._

Before I could move, though, Timothy had already jumped in and kicked the two of them away.

I whistled.

"I'm impressed, Brat" I admitted. "But leave me my share, would you?"

He just chuckled sheepishly, and we both ran towards our prey, who's fall had interfered the boys and the Level Four's face-off.

"Just passing by!" I waved, landing next to Allen. "Don't mind us!"

"Ary! What-"

"Akumas fighting amongst themselves?" wondered Kanda.

"It's the kid" I informed. "He took over a Level Two. It truly is Innocence"

As their eyes widened –even the Level Four was stunned-, Timothy turned the rabbit one into a doll, before destroying him with a glowing fist.

I clapped.

"Nice one, Brat!" I cheered.

But even if the Level Two exploded, his fist was stopped by the Level Three.

"I'm a higher level than you, baka!" he taunted.

Then, he sent him flying away. Sighing, I sent a glance at Tsukikami.

"I thought you were supposed to watch over him" I said.

 _"_ _He's such a hasty kid_ " he grunted, flying after him.

"Who're you talking to?" asked Allen.

"No matter" I shook my head. "I'll take care of him. You're alright with the Level Four or you want to switch?"

"We don't need your help, Akahato" scoffed Kanda.

"Which is why the bastard's still standing and Marie lost two of his fingers" I hummed. "You really handle it well"

"Shut the hell up, or I'll kill you" he threatened.

"How about you kill that one first, hum? Then I might consider your threat as more than some stupid bark" I shrugged.

He gritted his teeth, but we were all forced to retreat somewhat when their opponent started shooting at us. My _Shield_ deflecting the beams of light, I simply stood in it's way.

It narrowed it's eyes at me.

"The Angel, uh?" it recognized. "We have special orders for you"

"Don't I feel loved" I drawled. "Can you just explode or something? I'm really not in the mood for this"

"Go, Level Three" it ordered, still looking at me. "Kill the child"

"Hai!"

It's subordinate instantly disappeared.

"Go, Ary! We got it!" assured Marie.

"Aye, aye"

I darted after my target, not looking back.

* * *

"To your right!"

The Akuma turns its head to my signal, and I hit to the left, internally wondering why the hell it actually listened to me.

The blow sent it crashing into the ground as I landed on my feet between it and the possessed Akuma. Tsukikami had joined Timothy's side by using the boy's inhabited body, and both were now quarrelling like two children.

"Out of my way, Angel" it snarled.

"What are your orders concerning myself?" I asked calmly.

"Why the hell would I tell, uh?" it retorted.

"Because you're stupid?"

"I'll make you suffer!"

At the same time, though, Timothy left the Level Two's body and tried to possess the Level Three's.

He couldn't.

 _"_ _Seems like Level Two is our limit for now"_ informed Tsukikami, floating next to him.

 _"_ _You couldn't have said so?"_ exclaimed the boy in his astral form.

 _"_ _I did!"_

 _"_ _Crap, I gotta go back in the other one!"_

He tried to flee back, but found himself rejected as the body disappeared.

" _You can't. Once you leave an Akuma body, it gets purified by the Innocence and disappears"_

 _"_ _You can't be serious!"_

 _"_ Timothy, go back to your body now" I ordered.

" _R-right!_ "

The Level Three tried to get to his still unoccupied body, but I stood in the way once again.

"I'm your opponent, scum" I announced. "You told me you'd make me suffer, though. You didn't threaten to kill me, which leads to the logic conclusion that you are not allowed too. But, if you wanted to capture me, than the Level Four would have come after me. Conclusion: your orders are to not kill me, simple as that. Am I correct?"

"Damn Exorcist…" the weapon sneered. "I don't care for orders! Die, just die!"

Lightening shot from it's oversized body, and I was ready to send it back when I realized I wasn't the one he was targeting.

"Timothy!" I yelled, spinning around.

The boy, barely waking up, wouldn't be able to move in time. However, at the last moment, Link ran in between and lifted a barrier.

"Bind!"

The electricity crackled, but couldn't reach it's target. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks to you purifying the Akuma, the effect of the Dark Matter is wearing off" he informed, still a little puppet-like. "Looks like I'm not finished yet!"

Using the distraction, I managed to slice off the Akuma's right arm. It screeched in pain as I crouched next to the blond.

"Cupcake, take the kid to safety" I ordered. "I'll finish it off. Both of you aren't in fighting shape"

He nodded, retreating his barrier, and he picked up the boy, before running away. Satisfied with this outcome, I faced the enemy once again. However, before I could even think of moving, an awful screeching echoed, and I felt my head splitting.

 _Fuck! It's the Level Four!_

 _Hang in there, Ary!_

Gritting my teeth, I felt more than saw the clawed hand falling onto me to bash my skull in the ground. I raised my steeled wings in time to stop most of the blow, but the strength sent me flying on the few meters.

"DIE!"

My eyes widened as its fist crashed onto me. I wouldn't be able to stop it in t-

A new presence made itself known and the attack was stopped so easily I wanted to scream in frustration. I gazed up at the man in red now standing before me, amazed and truly frightened at the same time as his aura grew.

"An Exorcist? No, I don't sense any Innocence…" muttered the Akuma.

"Level Three, uh?" the man asked rhetorically.

"No shit" I grunted, getting up.

I couldn't stop staring as energy built up in the hand still stopping the weapon's fist. The arm of the red dude deformed itself as the presence grew colder.

"Activate Devouring device: _Primordial Void_!"

I felt my heart miss a beat when the Akuma was suddenly sucked in the man's open palm, before disappearing completely.

 _Hime…_

 _His aura… it's terrifying… it's so warm and cold at the same time… I feel sick…_

"Who are you?" I asked, suspicious.

He simply looked at me, before a new scream caught our attention.

"Allen!"

Not paying attention to the mysterious man anymore, I activated _Archangel_ and flew at the second battlefield as fast as I could. When I got there, it was in time to see Kanda and the white-haired teen cutting the Level Four to pieces.

"I told you… my name is Allen" but he was smiling.

I narrowed my eyes at the mark on his chest. _Crown Clown_ had acted against him, but it only worked against Noahs.

 _Nea is waking up._

 _This is bad. At least Link wasn't there. That would have fucked up everything._

 _What about the other guy in red?_

I shivered at the memory, glancing behind me. He was coming, calm and composed as Link followed behind him with Timothy.

At the same time, we found ourselves back in the entrance hall as the barrier broke down somehow. The unknown man –Link seemed troubled by his presence, though- walked out first, and we soon followed, only to find the Inspector Galmar along with Reever, Hipster and the other Finders that had been in a cell not a day sooner.

Another aura, familiar and distant at the same time, could be felt down the stairs. Walking out, I stared at the second figure in red and as soon as my eyes landed on the blond hair under the hat, I recognized her.

 _Tewaku?_

 _Her aura's the same, yet not… Trickster, what happened to her? To them?_

 _I don't know, but now's not the time for asking. You do that once we're back to Headquarters. Something's telling me they're coming with us. For now, just act as if you hadn't recognize her._

 _I don't like this._

 _Me neither, but at the moment, we're powerless. Just suck it up for a while._

 _And-_

My eyes widened.

"Damn it! The kids!"

Ignoring the confused gaze from the rest, I ran back inside, heading for the basement where I last saw them. On my way, I could hear voices and feel all of their aura's coming back to normal.

When I finally reached them, they were all alright, Timothy hugging the Superior Mother and crying, Emilia smiling softly next to them with the rest of the children bawling as if there was no tomorrow.

"Thank God" I let myself sank to my knees.

My sigh of relief reached their ears, and the kids stumbled on their feet to run to me. I was surprised when the little girl from sooner latched onto my neck, crying even louder.

"T-the Angel!" she sobbed. "You protected us… you saved us!"

"N-no, I didn't" I shook my head. "I came too late… I'm sorry…"

"You protected Timothy, though" remarked the Superior Mother with a thankful smile. "And you disobeyed your orders for us, more than probably risking heavy consequences. You have our gratitude"

My heart fluttered and, unable to help myself, I hugged the girl back. Taking this as an invitation, all the kids kind of jumped on me, but I couldn't bring myself to push them away and instead found a way to get them all in my embrace.

 _You did well, Hime._

 _I regret nothing._

 _Even if Leverrier hears of it?_

 _I regret nothing._

 _Atta girl._

* * *

Because of the aftereffects of the Dark Matter, which was what turned them into dolls, the kids were sent to the hospital.

The few wounds of my friends had been all bandaged up, and we were now sitting in the stairs with Emilia, Timothy and Inspector Galmar.

"When I arrested Timothy's father, I charged in even though I knew he was with his child" he admitted quietly. "Emilia suggested that we take him in, but I felt very sorry for him every time I saw his forehead. I thought he might bear a grudge against me, so I took him to this orphanage. Can't you somehow overlook this and not take him? I'll protect him from these Akumas next time for sure!"

"Ba-a-a-aka" I yawned. "You're useless against these damn weapons. Just drop it"

He slumped at my words.

"At any rate, don't you have to arrest me, Galmar?" asked Timothy, not really caring.

"It's Inspector Galmar!" corrected the man. "And how can I arrest a kid like you, idiot?"

His voice cracked, and I realized he was crying, which made me snicker a little.

 _Oh, how the mighty have fallen._

 _That's just mean, Hime._

 _I held a grudge for when he kept me in his damn cell. Sue me._

"Then maybe I'll just leave" shrugged the boy.

"What?"

"Timothy?"

"Mother is getting old, and the kids are small too" the kid pointed out. "This Akuma stuff is too much for them, right? I'll join you, black coats guys"

I smirked as he faced us, understanding where he was going with this.

"My name is Timothy… Timothy Hearst" he announced. "My Innocence is _Tsukikami_ , which turns Akumas into weapons. I'll fight hard, Exorcists! But, I won't do it for free!"

At that, truly unable to stop myself, I burst in laughter.

"Brat, I like you" I stated with a grin. "What do you want?"

"You pay for the damages caused by Phantom Thief G" he instantly answered, as seriously as he could. "And also pay a charge for those who were imprisoned because of me. At last, you fund the Orphanage so that it doesn't have to close"

This time, a true smile spread on my face, and I crouched in front of him, extending my hand.

"Sure" I accepted. "My name is Aryane Darkelston, but you can call me Ary. My Innocence is _Archangel_ , which allows me to protect my friends. Welcome to the Black Order, Exorcist Timothy Hearst"

He beamed at me, and shook my hand, sealing the deal.

" _You're_ talking to Komui" warned Kanda.

I let out a nervous chuckled at that. I completely forgot about him.

 _He's going to freak out._

 _Well, at least you gain a new Exorcist and it is for a good cause._

 _He'll just see all the zeros on the paper, though._

 _True, true._

* * *

" _Alors c'est pour ça que tu as fui cette nuit là_?" asked Inspector Galmar.

I hummed, eating my apple.

" _Je suis reconnaissante pour tes efforts, Gadget, je le suis vraiment_ _"_ I assured. " _Mais je ne pouvais pas rester à l'Orphelinat. Ça aurait mit tout le monde en danger et je devais faire honneur à la mémoire de mon père_ _"_

" _Il serait fier de toi_ " he assured.

 _"_ _Merci"_

We stayed silent for a moment as he gazed at his daughter's sleeping face.

" _Elle va rejoindre l'Ordre_ " he informed me.

" _Je garderais un oeil sure elle, comme sur Timothy and tous les autres_ _"_ I promised. " _Je vais m'assurer qu'elle revienne en un seul morceau_ _"_

" _Tu as vraiment grandi, pas vrai, Ary_?" he smiled, somewhat dryly.

" _Come je te l'ai dit plus tôt, je ne pouvais pas rester une gamine éternellement_ _"_ I shook my head.

 _"_ _Tu ressembles tellement à ta mère…"_ he trailed off. " _Je suis heureux de voir que tu vas bien. Ne fais plus peur à ton pauvre oncle de la sorte, tu veux?"_

 _"_ _Promis_ _"_

* * *

Two days later, a decision had been reached for the Orphanage. Until they decided where to put the new one –which had been funded by the Black Order, as promised- they were all going to live in London, where it was assured to be safe. Timothy had received his uniform, and was now sitting with the Superior Mother before the hospital, on which second level Allen, Link and I were now standing.

The cursed-eyed boy smiled softly at the two of them.

"You know, the Superior Mother is a bit goofy and that side of her resembles Mana a little" he said. "Timothy resembles my childhood self a little too. So, I understand how he feels"

"This… is the first time you opened up to me… about Mana" stated quietly Link.

"Uh? Oh well, maybe it is" shrugged the teen. "Maybe it means you're becoming like air!"

"What do you mean, like air?"

Allen just laughed, and walked away. I shook my head with a slight smile.

"Miss Aryane"

Surprised to be addressed by the man, I turned to him.

"If this is about what happened at the Orphanage-"

"I won't tell"

I blinked a few times at him, trying to wrap my mind around what he just said.

"W-what?"

"I won't tell" he repeated, looking away. "What you did… might have been, insubordination. However… it was the right thing to do, and you went back to the field right after. So, I won't tell"

"Aw, thanks, Cupcake!" I grinned, bumping his shoulder. "It means a lot, really!"

"D-don't think it'll happen again" he readjusted his collar, clearly embarrassed. "I would betray my own position if I did"

"Of course"

But I couldn't keep the grin from my face.

 _In a way, things are looking up, don't you think, Trickster?_

 _I guess we can say that and allow ourselves to relax for now. I'm still worried about Tewaku and the other dude, though._

 _Same. But, as you said, we'll get there when we get there, right?_

 _Right._

* * *

 **So, Ary's from Paris, Timothy joined the Black Order and Link's loyalties are swaying. The Third Exorcists are about to make their appearnces too, along with a few very important antagonists *cue evil laugh***

 **French traduction (there's a lot, so I just rewrote everything in english):**

"YOU!?"

"Y-you!" he repeated.

"Could you let me go?" I cringed a little when his grip tightened.

"Hell no!" He started pulling me behind him.

"Fuck! Let me go, you inbred! You're taking my fricking arm off!"

"I don't care! I've been searching for you for the last seven damn years and there you are, popping out of the blue! You won't get out of it so easily this time, and we're going to make this story clear once and for all!

"But I don't have the time! Geez, I'm not a kid anymore either!" I struggled.

::

"So that's why you fled that night?" asked Inspector Galmar.

I hummed, eating my apple.

"I'm grateful for all of your efforts, Gadget, I really am" I assured. "But I couldn't stay at the Orphanage. It would have put everyone in danger, and I had to honor my father's memory"

"He'd be proud of you" he assured.

"Thanks"

We stayed silent for a moment as he gazed at his daughter's sleeping face.

"She's going to join the Order" he informed me.

"I'll keep an eye on her, just like on Timothy and all the others" I promised. "I'll make sure she comes back in one piece"

"You really have grown, haven't you, Ary?" he smiled, somewhat dryly.

"Like I told you sooner, I couldn't stay a kid forever" I shook my head.

"You look so much like your mother..." he trailed off. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well. Don't scare your poor uncle of the sort anymore, okay?"

"Promise"

 **So, that's that!**

 **Question: Who do you think Ary would be BFF with the most, in all of the Noahs, and why?**

 **Toddles, and reviews!**


	38. Choosing Your Battles

**Hey! This is yet another of my favorite chapters, since all the Noahs finally show up! *cheers***

 **Answer: I think I'd see her good friend with Tyki. You know, playing poker and all that. Oh, and maybe Wisely too, in a Ary/Kanda-like relationship or something of the sort.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

For a second, I felt the usual dread churning my guts that came along with a Noah. Easily spotting its location, I could hear his aura playing some sort of melody, that I then recognized as the one Allen played back on the Ark.

 _Nea._

 _But Allen-_

As soon as I thought about the boy, his usual lemon aura came back. Frowning, I made my way to the medical wing, where he was resting.

* * *

Once there, I found Link banging against the door and cursing his charge and Lenalee to hell and back.

"Morning!" I waved. "What got your panties in a twist, Cupcake?"

By now too used to my banter to take offense at my language, he just fixed his collar with an heavy and annoyed sigh.

 _For once that it's not against you._

 _Shut up._

"Lenalee Lee is interfering with my work" he simply said. "But very well. I'm going to Head Komui's office right now to inform him that you are in a locked up room with his sister"

With that, he walked away. The white-haired teen instantly unlocked the door to go after him, and I could feel the smugness from Link's assured steps.

"Morning Ary" he greeted, passing by without as much as a glance. "Link! Link, wait up! I was wrong, don't- Link!"

Laughing, I turned to Lenalee, who giggled.

"So, going naughty with Kiddo?" I smirked.

Instantly, she turned as red as my hair, shaking her head violently.

"N-no! I was just sleeping in Link's bed!"

"That didn't sound any better" I remarked.

"Ary!" she whined.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop teasing you" I rolled my eyes.

She sighed, cheeks still burning, but then bit her lower lip. I took gently her hands in mines.

"You saw him, then?" I asked quietly.

"I might just have imagined it…" she trailed off. "He looked like… a different person…"

"The Noah is awakening" I confirmed. "But him and Allen aren't the same. Kiddo won't let him take over so easily, all right? He just needs us by his side"

"Right" she nodded.

Feeling that she was more at ease, I linked my arm with hers.

"Come on, we're going to grab something to eat" I proposed, pulling her behind me. "I'm starving!"

She simply giggled at that.

 _Things are brewing. The air feels heavier._

 _I know. Plus, the Head of the American Branch is here with Doll, the other guy and three more. They're with Komui right now, but I'm worried._

 _I'm sure we'll cross path anyway. Aren't we going to the training room later with everyone? They'll probably pass by._

 _If not, I'll find her myself._

* * *

"Ways to destroy an Akuma?" repeated Marie.

"Yeah, ones other than using Innocence" nodded Allen.

"Self-destruction and cannibalism" he instantly answered, blocking Allen's fist.

"Cannibalism?" I repeated, going for a round-house kick.

He easily avoided my foot, and I escaped in time the white-haired teen's oncoming blow for my stomach.

"One Akuma being absorbed by another" the man precised.

I grabbed his oncoming foot and returned it against him, before dropping to the floor in time to avoid Allen's.

"The red garbed guy seemed human, though" remarked the teen.

"He was" I confirmed.

At the same moment, we grabbed each other's fist. Nodding, we let go and put some distance between us, ending the spar.

"I heard that he wasn't an Exorcist at the Order" Marie informed. "Does that concern you?"

"Well, the Akuma… he just disappeared, you know?" the boy scratched his head. "Usually, Akuma souls are purified and freed by Innocence but this one was merely destroyed. I just wonder if the Akuma's soul was okay…"

He trailed off, his eyes catching Marie's deadpanned expression and his injuries, and he cringed.

"Gah! I'm sorry, Marie! It's not-"

"You should be more worried about yourself, Allen" the man shook his head.

"Myself?" he repeated, now confused.

"Most of the people here despise Akumas, Kiddo" I pointed out. "To the Order and Central, the souls that were turned into Akumas don't matter. You can see the souls, and you try to bring them mercy and salvation when you're fighting, but not many can sympathize with your train of thought"

"It'll only cause trouble one day, and pain while you're at it" assured Marie.

"But of course, that doesn't mean you have to stop" I bumped his shoulder a little. "I'm not a big fan of Akumas either, but I can't blame the souls trapped to create them, so I understand your situation. People who can't are just stupid or plain blind- no offense, Cherub"

"None taken" he smiled softly.

Allen thought for a moment, before smiling too.

"Thanks, guys, but as Ary said, I can't just let it go" he announced.

"Now I understand why you two fight with Kanda so much" the man sighed heavily. "You three are so much alike…"

"Gah! Don't put me with Jerkface!" I protested.

"Don't lump me in the same bag as this complete idiot-"

He was stopped in his rant by Marie's hand over his mouth.

"You're a complete idiot too" he replied. "And yet, the darkness that you guys are caught in is so deep that I don't know how to pull you out of it. I really feel frustrated… especially since he saved me…"

"Uh?"

"That was quite poetic, Cherub" I grinned. "But he's right, Kiddo. You can be a complete idiot too"

"Don't think you're any different, Ary" Marie ruffled my hair. "You act so recklessly and so selflessly at the same time it makes me wonder how you can still walk despite the weight of the world on your shoulders"

I blinked at him.

"Cherub, you're starting to freak me out"

He just smiled, smile that quickly turned to an evil smirk.

"And you're wide open!"

My breath caught as he roughly kicked me in the chest and sent me flying on a few meters, before I collided with something. It wasn't a wall, seeing as it had an aura, but it felt like Tewaku's and the other guy's.

"That was dirty, Cherub!" I yelled his way, trying to get up. "I'm really sorry for tha-"

As my hand came in contact with the man's, there was a crackle and his eyes suddenly turned to full red. I felt sick as his aura grew so cold I wanted to shiver, and found myself crashing into the nearest pillar.

"Ary!"

I felt blood drip from my forehead, which had taken the full strength of the surprise attack, and I struggled to stay conscious as another wave of nausea washed over my entire being.

 _I'm taking care of it, don't move too much, Hime. You took quite the hit._

"The hell was that for?" I exclaimed, angry. "Fuck, that hurts like a bitch…"

"Are you okay?" asked Allen, helping me in a sitting position.

"I was used as a fucking soccer ball and am currently bleeding to death" I cringed. "Does it looks like I'm fucking okay?"

But his attention wasn't on me anymore, his cursed eye activated towards the three of them.

Suddenly, I understood.

I understood why I kept reacting that way with them.

I understood why their aura felt that way, why the orange and sparks kept fighting against the purple and the cold.

I understood how they could so easily destroy other Akumas, yet react that way with Innocence.

"What are you doing, Gushi?" asked the youngest of the trio, calm.

"A side effect" replied the man who threw me. "It got activated responding to Innocence"

I nudged the white-haired boy, gaining his attention.

"He's part Akuma" I said quietly. "Don't know how, but they aren't fully human anymore"

He sported a startled look at my announce, and Link suddenly stepped between us and them.

"What do you think you're doing, Gushi?" he asked imperiously. "Exorcist Aryane isn't under supervision anymore. Why are you CROWs trying to arm her?"

"Inspector Link, uh?" recognized the kid. "Gushi"

The man, who had his arm still held before him in a threatening gesture, finally put it down, and Lavi –who had joined the scene moments later- helped me up.

At the same time, the third one with green hair and a seriously arrogant face stepped in.

"Our apologies, Exorcist Aryane" he said in a pompous tone. "We're half Akumas who have been genetically engineered from humans. Hence, our body rejects Innocence on it's own. Please pardon the trouble"

"Don't sweat it" I waved it off.

I felt the pain disappeared, and Lavi handed a cloth to wipe away the rest of the blood on my face.

I could feel their eyes narrow as my injury closed itself.

 _Thanks, Trickster._

 _Any time._

"It's one of _Archangel_ abilities" I answered their silent question. "I can regenerate myself as much as I want. I can guess you're staying here for a while, and I crossed path with the other two sooner. Would you mind taking me to Tewaku's room?"

"You know Tewaku?" asked the little girl, curious despite appearances.

"Sure" I grinned. "She was the Inspector assigned to me four months ago"

"You're the one sending her the books" realized the arrogant one.

"That's me" I nodded. "So?"

"We'll show you the way" he accepted.

"Sweet. Guys, I'll see you later, okay?"

I could feel their worried gaze as I walked away with the three new guys, but just smiled and waved until the door closed.

* * *

"I'm Aryane, by the way" I smiled their way. "Even though you must have caught on that by now. Just call me Ary"

"I'm Kiredori" said the girl in a composed voice.

"Gushi" added the gigantic man.

"… Tokusa" gave in the third one.

"Are you new Exorcists?" I asked curiously. "I can guess it was one of Leverrier's ideas, and… ah, he must have use the fragment of the Akuma Egg from four months ago… and that would be why Doll left…"

"Doll?" repeated the green-haired boy.

"Tewaku's nickname" I shrugged it off. "Oh, talking about the devil. Doll! Oi, come here, girl!"

She blinked in surprise at me as I ran to her, completely ignoring the guy to her right.

"Ary" she recognized with a somewhat nervous smile.

"I knew it was you back in Paris, but I couldn't catch you until now" I said, linking arms with her. "Come on, we've got a lot to talk about"

"Why isn't your Innocence reacting now?" Kiredori pointed out.

"Uh? I restrained it" I shrugged. "Oh, and thanks for the hand back at the Orphanage, red-and-mysterious-guy-who-I-haven't-catch-the-name-yet. It would have hurt even more than when your friend there threw me in a pillar a few minutes ago"

He shot a look at Gushi as Tewaku eyed me with worry.

"Don't give him gray hair or anything, it was an accident" I assured. "Now come on, Doll! We won't stand the whole day here, and I found new books for you!"

At the announce of the books, she finally gave in and waved to her friends, before following behind me with a small smile.

 _Thanks, Trickster. I feel kind of powerless, but at least I can approach her without feeling sick and creating World War Three by accident._

 _I'll warn if anything comes up._

* * *

"So, half-Akuma, uh?" I asked as soon as we entered my room.

She bit her lower lip, sitting at my desk, then lifted a determined gaze at me.

"Y-you asked, back then… if I was ready to take my chance" she recalled fervently. "You asked if I was ready for when the opportunity presented itself to me. I- I made my choice then. I've got power now, I'm a Third Exorcist! I can finally make my difference just like you do yours! I finally found my purpose! I told you that when we'd see each other, I'd have found my own path, and I did"

"You made a choice" I repeated, more serious. "Do you regret it?"

"I don't" she assured instantly.

At that, a smile graced my lips.

"Then you also remember what I said back then too, right? I'm with you on the whole way"

She sighed in relief, and I decided to drop it for now, pulling out a few books from under my bed. Her eyes glinted in delight.

 _This is quite the power she acquired. The Akuma in her is fighting for control, though._

 _If she's sure of herself, than who am I to judge her? As she said, it's her own path. There is no good or bad answer, and you know it too._

 _There's only to hope she won't regret it._

* * *

After around an hour in my room talking and reading at the same time, she left with _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ under her arm and a happy glint in her eyes.

My stomach grumbled rather loudly as I felt my senses come back to normal.

"Well, I'm going to eat" I mumbled.

Walking out of my room, I made my way to the cafeteria. On my way there, though, I nearly collided with the no-name guy from sooner.

"Yo" I greeted. "No-name-mysterious-guy. Can I help with anything?"

"My name is Madarao" he informed me flatly.

I blinked.

"Madarao?" I repeated. "You're Doll's brother! Wow, I feel stupid now… anyway, do you need anything?"

"When Tewaku came back to Central, she had changed" he said in the same tone as before. "She was more determined, more sure of herself and her choices. The sister I thought was lost had came back to life, and I believe it is thanks to you"

At that, he bowed, and I quickly shook my head, embarrassed at how honest he actually was.

"I-it wasn't- well, okay, maybe a little, but I just nudged her in the right direction" I assured. "As I told her, those without a true purpose are those who die the fastest in this organization. I just told her honestly, nothing else. Don't make a big deal out of it, really"

He straightened and eyed me for a moment, as if searching for something he couldn't find.

"She is quite fond of you" he pointed out. "Which, I must admit, I do not quite understand"

"Err… okay?"

"From what I've gathered in our last encounters, you are rude, sarcastic, reckless, hot-headed and clearly disrespectful of any form of authority, rules or protocols" he resumed plainly. "My sister is not one to admire someone who clearly lacks the basics civilities and who defies the littlest command without a care for the consequences and yet, she holds you in high regards"

I scratched the back of my head, confused.

"I seriously doubt whether to be insulted or amazed at how simply you described my humble self" I admitted. "But it's not that I like breaking the rules or anything, I just stand for what I believe in, and that's that. For my language, well, I can be civil if I needed, but seriously, who cares? If I want to talk, I'll talk, and no one's stopping me. As for my brash attitude… well, I can't really say anything about that one, it's just how I'm made"

Crossing my arms, I hold his blank stare with my own.

"I don't exactly care about anything that might be said about me" I admitted. "I know who I am, my qualities and my defaults. I'm no role model, and I'm certainly no lady, and I never said otherwise because lying isn't one of my forte. For whatever reason Tewaku likes me, I can't tell either. I'd say it's everyone guess at that moment. However, if you're really that worried about whatever trouble your sister might encounter because of me, you can be certain of one thing: my friends pass before myself. If there is even a risk that they might pay for whatever I'm saying or doing, then I won't take it and I'm ready to receive any blow as long as they're safe. Nothing will happen to Tewaku or any of my family as long as I'm around to keep an eye on them"

Satisfied, I hold his eyes a few more moments, before he nodded slightly.

"She was right" he remarked quietly. "It seems there is more to you than the eye let on. Very well"

"Uh?"

"Have a good day, Exorcist Aryane"

And with that, he turned around and walked away. I stared at his retreating back in wonder, before shrugging and going to grab a bite.

It would seem that whatever test he made up with this stunt, I had passed with flying colors.

* * *

The evening was barely starting when I felt like choking under the sudden pressure. It was dark, freezing and I barely managed to stumble out of the cafeteria before throwing up everything in the nearest trash can.

Leaning heavily onto the metal basket, the remains of my now empty stomach splattering its contents and my body shaking so much I was afraid I'd collapse at any second, I finally let go because of the smell and let myself slid against the wall, hugging myself while trying to stop the violent shivering.

Someone sat next to me, hands on my shoulders.

"Tenshi, eh… eh, Tenshi… Ary, calm down… eh, relax…"

Recognizing Lavi's voice, I took breaths as slow and deep as I could to slow down the rash beatings of my heart.

"They're here" I finally managed to blurt out. "All of them…"

"Who? Ary, who's here?" he asked, more urgently.

Grasping at the last of my strength, I lifted my eyes to meet his.

"The Noahs" I croaked out. "The whole family's back… they're coming for us…"

His jaw clenched, but he said no more and stayed next to me until I managed to fully calm down.

* * *

Four minutes later, I was feeling better.

"We have to get ready" I breathed out, getting up. "Inform the others discreetly. The Earl is about the make his move, and with all the Dark Matter gathering, it'll be a big one"

"Will you be okay?"

"I'm fine" I assured. "I was just… overwhelmed, with their sudden appearance. But we have to move _now_ "

"Got it"

He took a step back, before leaning in for a quick kiss and then darting away.

Biting my lower lip, I was about to go in the opposite direction, knowing Lenalee, Marie and the Marshalls were there, when I froze as a presence I hadn't felt before made itself known.

Link's frown deepened, before he walked away without another glance my way.

 _Well fuck._

 _What am I supposed to do!?_

 _Wait._

 _Wait?_

 _For now, we have more important things to do._

 _R-right. Let's move._

Damn.

The blond just _had_ to waltz in with the perfect timing, didn't he?

* * *

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck" I chanted.

Avoiding attack after attack with barely a second between each, I was having some difficulties with the bunch of Akumas surrounding me.

And when I say a "bunch" it's for not saying a fucking _army._

"The hell are you all coming from?" I exclaimed angrily, bashing one's skull.

The heavy smell of blood was making me dizzy, but I couldn't bring myself to care right now.

 _To top it all, I'm one against the lot of them. Why was I sent alone anyway?_

 _You volunteered to go help Allen._

 _Oh, right._

 _Hime, go with the spell._

 _Now!?_

 _You don't exactly have much of a choice._

 _I won't have any energy left, though._

 _I know, but it's the only way. We can see Allen struggling from here. If you do it with the right timing, you'll be able to get rid of his opponents too._

 _Give the go, then._

One of the weapons grabbed my legs with some sort of whip and pain shot through my whole body. Feeling kind of numb, I however managed to break free from my position and flew high above them, placing my palms against each other. Activating _Shield_ , they screeched and clawed at my protection as I started reciting the spell.

 _"Yb eht snevaeH dna eht s'rehtaF lliW, I llac nopu siH ssenevigrof rof eht denmad sluos, daelp rof siH ycrem dna geb rof siH noitavlas. Gnirb meht siH ecaep rof ereht si on noitanmad_ "

"SHUT THE HELL UP, EXORCIST!" yelled a Level Three.

"Kill the bitch!"

"Shut up, shut up!"

"Kill her!"

"Make her stop!"

 _Now!_

" _Yfirup!"_

My arms spread as the swirling sphere of light surrounding me suddenly expanded. Growing and gaining ground by the second, each and every Akuma caught in the blow disappeared in angry snarls.

I finally let my arms drop to my sides as silence ensued, and started falling. Batting my wings with as much strength I could muster, I managed a rather painful, but relatively safe landing. Then, exhausted, I let myself sank to my knees, my legs loosing their presence as _Archangel_ deactivated by itself.

 _Nerve damage. I'm on it, but it'll take a while. Like, a long, long one._

"Ary!"

"Yo, Kiddo" I panted. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, but what about you?" he frowned, kneeling next to me.

"The spell is very strong, and a hundred percent effective, but it takes a hell of a lot of energy" I explained, catching my breath. "An Akuma damaged the nerves in my two legs too. I can't fight anymore"

His frown deepened as he eyed the canyon in which we were now standing –more or less- alone. Damn, I can barely feel the boy's aura, and he's just in front of me!

"Stay sharp, I can't sense anything in this state" I warned.

"It was reckless, Ary" he remarked. "If others come…"

"It was that or dying by the over-amount of Akumas" I replied, feeling sore. "Fuck, I'm tired…"

"Can you stay awake? Others are coming" he informed, suspicious of our surroundings.

"I'll be fine, there mustn't be much left with that att-"

I found myself unable to finish my sentence as another little army of the weaponized souls trapped us in the canyon.

"Well fuck" I blinked.

 _Trickster?_

 _They appeared right after our attack, they weren't in our range._

 _Damn it._

Struggling to get back on my feet, I however found myself unable to activate my Innocence and fall back on my rear.

"Well, wasn't that just a great move" I grunted.

"I'll take care of them, just get to safety" ordered Allen, taking out his sword again.

"Kiddo, we're in the middle of fricking nowhere" I deadpanned. "There is no safety. Plus, I can't walk"

He paled at the same realization, before gritting his teeth and falling into a defensive stance. Instantly, I tried to move, but my legs fully stopped answering to my demands and I fall back on the ground once again.

"Kiddo, give me a fucking piggyback and get the hell out of here!" I ordered. "You won't be able to fight them off alone!"

"I won't be able to run as fast, I have to get rid of them here" he shook his head.

Before I could answer, he smashed the sword in the ground with a growl. The energy gathering crackled loudly as a beam of light, much like the one I had just used, made our enemies explode.

Many more came to replace them a moment after.

Noticing the bands of sweat forming on the boy's forehead, I realized he mustn't have much strength left either.

 _You're a great back-up, Hime. Really._

 _Shut the fuck up. You're the one who told me to use the spell._

 _Oi, I can't foresee the future either! How the hell was I supposed to know others would come?_

Trying to stand up again, I realized I could hardly move my fucking toes.

 _Trickster, the hell do you think you're doing? Now's so not the time to take a nap!_

 _I'm trying, but I don't have much to run with either, you know. Give me a break!_

 _As I said… NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR A FUCKING BREAK!_

 _THEN HOW ABOUT YOU COME HERE AND DO IT YOURSELF!?_

 _IT'S YOUR FUCKING JOB, DO IT RIGHT DAMN IT!_

 _THEN SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME CONCENTRATE!_

" _Clown Belt_!"

"Uh?"

Allen's cloak wrapped itself around me and lifted me from the ground, which exploded a second later as one of those Giant came from under. He sliced through it before placing me down next to him, and it was then that I realized we were truly trapped and doomed.

"Crap"

"You can say that again" he grunted, gripping his sword tighter.

"What-"

I stopped talking, finally sensing the presence of two new individuals above our heads. Raising my eyes, it was in time to see two of the Third Exorcists landing on each side of us.

"T-Thirds!" realized Allen.

"Tokusa, Madarao" I added, recognizing the boys with relief. "We almost waited!"

"Primordial Devouring Device: _Void_!" exclaimed Tokusa, hitting the ground with his open palm.

Instantly, said ground started moving and all the Akumas in the vicinity sank in what seemed to be dark quicksand.

"What's happening?"

"We're sinking!"

"It's a hole that leads to hell" snarled the younger of the two. "Time to be eaten, you damn iron scraps!"

And just like that, they disappeared. Not an explosion, not a purification. They just weren't there anymore. I felt the need to throw up, but once in the evening was enough for me, who was already running on an empty stomach.

Plus, I've got my pride.

"Oh? Were the souls of these Akumas suffering?"

At the taunting voice, I snapped out of my trance and realized he was talking to Allen, who seemed rather shaken up by the whole situation.

 _The souls weren't saved, Hime, but destroyed. He could see them._

 _Oh._

"You know, I envy you for being able to see their souls" added Tokusa.

I scrunched my nose at that. He wanted to see those poor souls suffering? What kind of sick joke was that?

"What?" seethed the white-haired teen through his teeth.

"Sorry" said the boy, not sorry at all. "Whenever I see high and mighty apostles, I seem to get irrita- no, rather like I feel kind of high after destroying Akumas, so…"

"You shouldn't 'feel high' when destroying those weapons" I replied coldly, still sitting on the canyon's floor. "You can be proud of saving innocent lives when you destroy them, but don't take pleasure into the mere chase"

"And why shouldn't I?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Because there is no pride to take into destroying already destroyed souls"

His lips tightened in a sneer but before he could add anything, my heart throbbed painfully and, mustering all the strength I could, I propelled myself at him. Grabbing his legs, I put my whole weight in the push and sent him to the ground. We both landed rather harshly, but I let out a relieved sigh nowadays.

"What-"

"Oh? That was quite well done, Milady"

I stiffened at the voice as Tokusa quickly got back to his feet.

 _I still can't move my legs, Trickster!_

 _Calm down, I'm trying! Repairing nerves is such a pain…_

"Mikk" I growled, twisting my body so I could face him.

"You should be grateful, boy" he shot at Tokusa. "She just saved you from having your arms cut off"

As my senses slowly came back, I felt the appearance of two other Noahs near us. Tyki's presence also felt stronger than last time we saw him without his Dark Tyki appearance.

"It's nice to see you again, Milady, Boy" he waved mockingly.

"He's not alone" I warned. "Two others"

Hoping it was subtle, I was slowly but surely putting some much needed distance between us. I was helped back on my feet and I shot a grateful look at Tokusa, who just nodded.

 _Guess we're friends now._

 _Hime, not the time._

 _I can feel my toes, now. Almost done?_

 _No exactly. Like,_ really _not. I need more time._

 _Not sure we have it._

 _Then make it._

"Always breaking our fun, are you?" Tyki pouted.

The next second, two other Noahs we had never met before appeared. The first one looked a lot like Tyki, and I could recognize his aura with the distinct sound of some sort of waltz following him around. The second one, who wore sunglasses for God-knows-what reason, could be identified with the taste of nachos.

 _No comment._

"The hell do you want?" I asked coldly, almost fearing the answer.

"Well, it's not like we have serious business or anything" shrugged Tyki as his look-alike eyed me in curiosity. "We're just here to hunt Exorcists. Oh, and to extend to you an invitation for meeting with the Earl, of course"

Allen, Tokusa and Madarao exchanged a glance at that and I let out a sharp laugh.

"Finally have the whole family back, eh?" I remarked. "How sweet. Did you throw a party or anything?"

"She's trying to gain more time, how cute!" cooed his creepy look-alike.

"Explode!"

Magic papers exploded around us, covering our escape with smoke. I covered my nose as someone –surely Tokusa- fully lifted me from the ground before darting away. Keeping my eyes closed to protect them from the smoke and the rock flying around, I only opened them when I was placed back down.

"Nerve damage" I answered the green-haired boy's silent question.

He nodded, and Madarao and Allen were suddenly next to us. Looking around, I realized we were now into some sort of cave.

"Damn it… to think we ran when these Noahs were right in front of us…" grunted Tokusa.

"We have to get Ary out of here" my friend simply said.

"What do they want with her?" asked Madarao.

I froze, and shot the boy a warning look.

"Kiddo, don't you fucking dare t-"

"She can find the Heart"

I banged my head against the wall of the cave behind me as the two Third Exorcists shot me stunned looks.

"What the hell, Kiddo!? You can't blurt that out to anyone like that!" I protested.

"Ary, they're after you! You need as much protection as you can get, and they wouldn't understand the severity of the situation otherwise!" he replied in the same tone.

"But they're with Central! If Apocryphos-"

"Apocryphos is the last of our worries right now!" he cut sharply. "I'm just trying to protect you, Ary!"

"But it's _my_ job!" I clenched my fist, shaking in anger. " _I'm_ the one supposed to protect you and everyone!"

"Yeah? Well right here, right now, you can't do it" he replied harshly. "So, I'm taking over. Madarao, Tokusa!"

They straightened a little when he called over them.

"Aryane has the ability to find the Heart" he informed seriously. "The information is locked away in the back of her mind, which is why the Earl is trying to get his hands on her. We have to get her out of here _now_ "

"If I'm out of here, so are the three of you" I bared my teeth a little. "I'm not leaving any of you behind!"

Trying to prove my point, I got back on my feet by using the wall, glaring at the white-haired teen with all my might. He just stared back as I struggled to stay on my shaky legs.

Tokusa scoffed.

"Seeing you, a first Apostle, in such a state, makes me sick" he grunted. "You're barely able to stand on your own, and if what he's saying's the truth, then there's no way you're going back t-"

"I don't care how many times I have to get my legs and arms cut off" I sneered his way. "I'll fight until I drop dead. I'm sure you of all people should understand that"

He gritted his teeth at my remark, but I wanted to go to the bottom of this affair.

"Tewaku told me all, about how you struggled to make your lives count" I pursued. "That no matter how strong you were as CROWs, you couldn't possibly do as much as us Exorcists. That's why the five of you decided to take your chance with the Third Exorcist Program, and I honestly applaud your determination and sacrifices. However, do not tell me to stand down when you yourself are ready to loose your very soul for our cause. Do not tell me to back down when you wouldn't listen to your own advice in my situation!"

There was a moment of silence, before someone placed his hand on my shoulder. I lifted my eyes to Madarao.

"It's not about you"

My breath hitched at his words and whatever reply I was about to utter caught in my throat.

"You told Tewaku… that selfish purposes only led to hurt and death" he recalled in a posed tone. "Right now, it isn't about you or what you want. It's about making sure that all those you pledged to protect and save will survive by not letting your knowledge fall into the enemy's hands"

"B-but…"

 _Ary, he's right. In our state, I wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight against Wisely. You have to lay low for now._

Taking in a deep breath, I finally nodded.

"A-alright" I breathed. "Okay, fine"

They relaxed somewhat at that, apparently glad they wouldn't have to drag me around kicking and screaming, not that I would have-

 _Hime, be honest. You so would have._

 _… not the point._

My guts twisted violently.

"Behind you!"

Listening to my command more by instincts than will, the boys jumped away in time to avoid the sudden explosion.

 _You're good for now, Ary. Don't push them too much, though, the nerves are still connecting._

 _Got it._

"You're right, Tyki, she really does break all of our fun" remarked the waltz-man from sooner with a pout.

"Told ya"

I felt my heart miss a beat at the voice, which had echoed just behind me. Trying to move away, an hand shot from the wall on which I was leaning and grabbed my wrist, pulling me back against what I guess was Tyki's chest or something of the sort.

 _Lavi won't be happy._

 _I'm going to skin you once everything's said and done._

 _If you're alive by then._

 _You know, sometimes you're all 'stay alive 'til the sun dies!' and the next you're just all 'sucks to be you'. Are you bipolar or something?_

I struggled when his hand fall over my mouth, but it was a 'mosquito VS lion' kind of situation, so I didn't really have much of a chance in the matter.

Allen grabbed his sword, ready to strike, and the green-haired men tried to throw some of their papers, only to be sent away by the guy with the sunglasses. As he occupied the Third Exorcists, my friend found himself facing the Tyki look-alike.

"Tyki, you shouldn't let the Earl waiting any longer" he remarked. "You know him. He just _can't_ wait to see our guest"

"Hai, hai, Sheril" nodded Tyki, his grip tightening on me. "Say goodbye, Milady"

He was clearly mocking me, what with his hand blocking any word I tried to spat, but he let go somewhat when I nearly bit his fingers off.

"Don't come, Kiddo!" I yelled as we started sinking back into the wall. "Don't you fucking come!"

As he tried to run at me, the other Noah –apparently named Sheril- sent him crashing into the lower parts of the cave, before following Mikk and I in the portal-like passage.

* * *

I found myself unable to breath for a few seconds, before roughly landing in what seemed to be some sort of steeled floor. Coughing as air entered my lungs once again, I felt my blood freeze as many new presences shifted around me.

"Good day, A-ry-ane" greeted mockingly the big boss.

"It was a good day 'til I saw your face, Earl" I replied smoothly.

 _Well shit._

 _Couldn't have said it better._

* * *

 **YEAH! SHERYL! Sorry, I just really like him, even though he's creepy as fuck. And he's funny too. So, so funny... next up is some mind-raping and some more Karma drama, so keep close!**

 **Question: Any ideas on what should be Wisely's aura?**

 **Toddles for now. Reviews are love!**


	39. Mind-Raping Is NOT Fun

**And here's chapter thirty-nine! I love this one too, by the way. WISELY FOR LIFE!**

 **Answer: At first, I chose 'hurricane' 'cause I just didn't have any idea, but I think I'll take Leahcar-chan's idea, so it'll be incense!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"My, my, such anger, little Exorcist" the Earl sighed, waving his damn umbrella around.

"Sorry, I'm just not much into that whole 'kidnapped by buffoons' idea" I grunted, sitting up. "Oh, you brought some of your family too. Yeah, there's Mikk, the Sheril dude, Road and another white-haired guy, plus a Level Four bastard"

"She's terrified" remarked said white-haired guy in a plain tone.

"You must be the mind-rapist then"

He seemed actually offended at the name, and the doll that seemed to be Road giggled as the Earl's grin merely widened, if that was possible.

"Sheril"

My muscles tensed and, before I knew it, my body was moving on its own to stand in front of the Millennium Earl and the boy as Sheril waved his fingers as if playing with a puppet.

 _That's just plain creepy._

 _I'd say, Hime._

"And you're just weird" replied the white-haired teen, eying me.

"How much time would you need, Wisely?" asked the Earl.

"Some we don't have" he replied. "Her barriers are so strong I have to strain to hear her. Damn, it'll be such a drag to break through these…"

"I don't know whether to be glad or freaked out" I admitted.

"Just sit still for now, Aryane dear. You see, you're not the main character in today's play that's about to unfold" he announced. "So just enjoy the show. I'm sure you'll _love_ it"

 _I'm not exactly convinced._

 _Me neither. Hey, isn't that Kanda?_

 _Shoot, you're right! What's he doing here, though? Think he's the 'main character' as the Earl put it? But what do they want with_ him _of all people?_

"You'll see soon enough" replied Wisely, sitting down.

"Stop doing that, you're seriously creeping me out" I huffed.

My body moved again, and I sat down next to him without much of a choice.

I glared at Sheril.

"If you'd refrain from using me as a fucking Pinocchio, that' be much appreciated"

He just chuckled, but the tenseness on my muscles didn't lessen.

* * *

A few moments later, I felt a bunch of new auras entering my range, which was really slowly growing back to it's normal state. Then, Leverrier, Bak, the American Head and an old guy with glasses walked in, apparently controlled by Sheril's puppet strings.

"A-Ary!?" Bak was the first to see me.

"What are you doing here, Exorcist?" sneered Leverrier. "Finally turned traitor?"

"I was kidnapped, you fucking nutjob" I replied, annoyed. "Sheril dude, mind taking that stick out of his ass?"

"Such foul language for a lady" the Noah simply shook his head with a sigh.

"I ain't a lady" I scoffed. "Everyone in this room can attest"

I could see the despair in Bak's eyes, the anger in Leverrier's and the disbelief in the woman's and the old geezer's.

 _Aryane Darkelston, fucking up everyone's minds since birth._

 _You make it sound as if I was the one at fault._

Then, another group of auras, from which two were horribly familiar, arrived to the room we were in.

"Of course you'd have to bring the scientist into this" I grunted.

 _What are they going to do with them?_

 _Why are you asking me? I'm in your head!_

"Hostages" shrugged Wisely.

"Just fucking great"

"Now, now, don't be shy!" called the Earl towards the scientists. "Go ahead and line up!"

At they were forced to join with the other four, I eyed Kanda's unconscious form lying not far from me.

He seemed… a little out of it.

 _Hime, he's fricking unconscious. Bet Wisely smashed his head._

"He seemed strong" replied the boy, still reading my thoughts. "Plus, he's a Second Exorcist. He'll be fine… I think"

"So reassuring" I sweatdropped.

"You're right, old master"

"Wha-"

I stopped myself, suddenly understanding he wasn't talking to me anymore, but to the wrinkly guy against the wall. Said guy's eyes widened.

"Love and tragedy… You should've known better than anyone what would come out of it, when you touch what you're not supposed too. What the Black Order despises the most… you will be eliminated by the demon that you created yourselves"

As soon as he finished, Kanda's aura flared, and I glanced at the glass under him. Looking closer, I realized there was another boy under.

Or rather, what was left of him.

"Let me guess, Leverrier" I snapped at the Inspector. "Another of your stupid experiments?"

He gritted his teeth, but didn't answer, and Wisely shifted next to me.

"That's right" he said, apparently at Leverrier. "It's true that Alma's mind is closed. But, I wonder what this guy can do…"

Kanda's aura flared once again, and he snapped his eyes open, only to find the weird corpse floating in an orange liquid right under him. His aura grew unsteady.

"Oi, still alive, Jerkface?"

My voice seemed to snap him out of whatever trance the sight had plunged him in, and he shot a confused and annoyed glare at me.

"Akahato? Wha-"

"Now, the time has come!" yelled the Earl, making me jump. "Let's bring the judgment dawn to Alma Karma! Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

"Dafuck?" I inched away slightly.

"Wait a second, Millennium Earl!" called Sheril. "We still don't have all the guests here! We went through all the trouble of using this one as bait too…"

"Who-"

Before I could finish, one of the Ark's doors opened under Sheril. Using the sudden confusion to my advantage, I tried to make a break for it.

"Don't"

There was a stung at my very mind, which sent me stumbling on the floor and face-crashing barely a meter away. Gasping in pain, black spots danced in my vision as the pressure grew stronger.

"Give me back my friend!"

"K-Kiddo…" I gritted out, writhing in pain. "D-don't… fuck!"

 _Ary!_

 _Keep him out, damn it!_

 _I'm trying!_

"Wisely dear, enough of that, or she won't be able to enjoy the show!"

Instantly, the pressure disappeared. Letting out a shaky breath, I managed to lift my eyes enough to see Allen now standing in the middle of it all, clearly lost.

"What's going on here!?" he exclaimed, waving his sword around. "Inspector Leverrier… Reever and Johnny too… Ary!"

"I told you… not to fucking come…" I spat, my arms shaking under my weight. "Fucking Mind-rapist bastard…"

"Kanda?" Allen finally spotted him as he got up. "What're you doing here? Weren't you protecting camp Jordan?"

"That camp has already been annihilated" announced Sheril with a gleeful voice. "You must be surprised, eh? After all, you only came to rescue the girl here…"

"Careful, Kiddo" I warned, managing to sit at last. "This guy can control someone's body like a puppeteer"

"So… everyone here…"

"That's right!" confirmed Sheril with a grin. "Everyone in this Branch is already under my control. And just so that you know, I'm a total sadist. If you don't want me to hurt any of your little friends here…"

He trailed off, all of those presents easily understanding the rest of his sentence.

"So I'm supposed to let myself be killed without fighting?" Allen narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You tell him, Kiddo" I cheered in a tired voice.

A second later, something snapped. I gazed down at my arm, which was now twisted in the complete opposite way, and I swallowed back a scream, drawing blood as I nearly bite off my tongue.

"Take that as a warning" Sheril smiled pleasantly.

"Go… fuck… yourself…" I spat, my body writing in spasms. " _Putain de bordel de merde… je vais lui arracher les testicules… et l'étouffer avec…"_

"Ary!"

There was another crack as my arm replaced itself, and the pain somewhat eased away, letting me breath.

 _I fucking love you, Trickster._

 _You can say that again._

"We came to get you, Boy" Tyki remarked, unperturbed by what just happened.

"Get me?" repeated the teen, sending me a worried glance. "I'm your enemy, remember?"

"W-watch out!"

He didn't have the time to react to my warning, and he was suddenly trapped under the Millennium Earl in what seemed to be a rather painful grip.

"I was completely taken in by you, clown" he sneered.

"What?"

"That sounded wrong" I muttered.

"You're not the 'player' that the Fourteenth left behind!" announced the grinning madman. "You're the Fourteenth himself, aren't you!?"

 _Damn it! How'd he know that?_

 _How should_ I _fucking know?_

"A-Allen is the Fourteenth himself!?" repeated Johnny, horrified.

"Now that I know that, I'll never let you go back to the Order again!" assured the Earl.

"So that's what's going on" resumed Tyki, quite needlessly might I add.

"Plus, we've got that one too" Sheril nodded my way. "Which is quite convenient, now that Wisely-kun is back"

As I shot him a glare full of deadly promises and suffering, the Earl kind of lost it and started strangling the white-haired teen under him.

 _That sounded kind of wrong, Hime._

 _Stuff it._

"You know that I, the Millennium Earl, am the maker of Akumas. Akumas are my limbs and eyes. You talked to me through that Akuma last time, didn't you? It was quite a shock!" he exclaimed.

"What're you talking about!?" protested Allen, choking. "I didn't say anything like th-"

The air shifted suddenly, and the piano melody came back to haunt my ears. Allen stopped struggling, instead gazing up at the Earl and smirking.

His eyes were like liquid gold.

"Nea" I breathed out.

"That's right" he confirmed to the Millennium asshole.

His voice wasn't exactly Allen's, though. There was something else.

"I wanted to tell you... that I'm back" the possessed boy admitted.

"The Fourteenth?" asked the big boss in amazed disbelief.

"I thought you'd come for me, brother" assured Allen/Nea. "And you know what? I'll kill you for sure this time around… I'll kill you and I, myself, will become the new Millennium Earl!"

Instantly, the air grew heavier and I felt sick.

 _You_ did _say he was your friend, right? Right?_

 _Hey, I never said he was exactly sane either. Let me talk to him._

 _But the others-_

I felt my breath being taken away as my eyes locked with golden ones.

"Oh, Gabby… why don't you come out?" he called my way with a smirk.

Before I could react, though, Allen had retaken control and was shaking his head violently.

"No! No, that's not what I want!" he protested heavily. "I-I'm not the Fourteenth! I'm not!"

He vomited quite a lot of blood. Trying to go by his side, I found myself trapped once again in Sheril's puppet strings.

"Don't interfere" he warned with an easy-going smile. "Or I might break your arm again"

Allen started screaming.

Then, he head-butted the Earl.

 _Did he just head-butt the Earl?_

 _I just said he did, Trickster. Pay attention._

"Listen, Earl" the boy spat, getting up. "And the Fourteenth, you listen closely too. I am Allen Walker, an Exorcist! I refuse to be anyone else, even if it costs me my life! Don't drag me into your stupid brother's quarrel! It's annoying!"

Kanda suddenly grabbed Doll Road and ran at the Earl, _Mugen_ striking down on him. Tyki pared the attack at the last second.

"GAH! MY ROAD!" yelled Sheril, horrified. "Why did you let him snatch her so easily, Wisely-kun!?"

"I'm not a fighter, you know" he scratched the back of his head.

"You bastard!" snarled Allen, kicking Sheril against a wall.

Then, he bent down and pulled me back on my feet as the strings disappeared.

"Are you okay, Ary?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm totally fine, Kiddo" I assured.

Kanda landed next to us, Doll Road between his teeth.

"Y-you can move, Kanda!?" realized the white-haired teen.

"A problem with that?" the he-she samurai snapped back.

"Why were you frozen motionless until now!?" exclaimed Allen, now annoyed.

"It took me a while to understand the situation" he replied.

"That's because he's an asshole and a mindless larvae" I added helpfully.

"Shut up, Akahato" he grunted.

Then, he pulled onto Road's ribbon.

"Gah! What are you doing, you perv!?" she protested.

"Shut it! My hair string went somewhere, so I'm taking your ribbon" he retorted.

"You captured her for the fucking ribbon?" I sweatdropped.

"In any case, let's retreat for now and reorganize-"

The ground started shaking, and metal pipes shot from the floor to create a wall blocking the only exit.

"Shoot! They blocked the exit!" exclaimed Allen.

"No shit!" I snapped back.

"You stupid lower life-forms… do you really understand the situation?" Sheril asked behind us. "Especially you, the Fourteenth"

We turned around to face them, and I clenched my fists.

"I told you that I'd never let you go back to the Order again, didn't I?" remarked the Earl giddily. "Allen Walker… I'll make it so that you'll leave the Order on your own"

"I'll never do that!" the teen protested.

"Today, we're having a party to celebrate your last day at the Order!" pursued the big boss, totally ignoring him.

A body shot from behind the wires and pipes, the one that had been trapped under the glass sooner.

"Who's that?"

At Kanda's question, though, everyone present seemed to loose their cool. Even the Earl came up unable to find an intelligent answer.

"Uh?"

"… excuse me… what did you just say?" the Earl's voice was kind of shaky.

 _The hell's going on?_

 _I have no idea._

"Who's that?" repeated Kanda, apparently bored.

But his aura was agitated, sign he was all but bored.

"Wisely-kun!" whined the Earl and Sheril.

"W-why are you glaring at me like that!?" he cringed. "But this _is_ strange…"

Then, he seemed to realize something.

"No… hold on a second…"

"Is it possible that Kanda… can't recognize Alma because he looks completely different?" I heard Bak asks.

"That's not the case" refuted the old geezer. "There's no way he wouldn't recognize Alma…"

"What are you saying?" added Road, now on Kanda's shoulder. "Geez… that's Alma! The failure you killed nine years ago!"

At that, I actually backed away from the swordsman as his aura grew dangerously heavier with killing intent.

"He died" he said, voice like ice shards.

"But he's actually alive!" insisted Doll Road. "He lived all this time even though he became like that. And the Order was hiding it!"

"Do you want to be crushed?" Kanda asked, tightening his grip on her 'neck'.

"They put the blame for Alma Karma on you and hid him, using the crusade against the Noahs as an excuse… for nine long years… In the end, the nucleus of the Akuma Egg was implanted in Alma and he has now become a living doll devoured by the Order!"

Her head kind of exploded, and Kanda let her fall on the ground.

She was still alive, of course.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see Alma? Oh, is it possible that it has something to do with _that_ person… the woman who was the reason you killed him?"

Before I could fully record what I was doing, I darted from my position and grabbed _Mugen_ in time to stop it from hitting the doll. The blade sliced through my skin, drawing blood and a sharp, burning sensation, but I couldn't care less at the moment.

"Calm down, Jerkface" I grunted. "You know that won't kill her. Don't answer to her childish provocations like that. I makes you look even more stupid"

To be honest, I was terrified right now. Not by the Noahs, or Nea waiting in the shadows, but of him. He had a crazy glint in his eyes, one that said he would kill anyone in this room without a second thought if he snapped.

At our feet, Road giggled as her head reformed itself.

"You still don't believe me?" she asked. "Then ask her! Ask her if he really is still alive! She would know, wouldn't she?"

I stiffened as he fully turned his eyes at me.

"Tell him, Onee-chan!" cackled the doll. "Tell him the truth about Alma Karma!"

"I-"

"Aryane"

This time, I truly felt like running away. It was worse than when I faced the Level Four back at the first Headquarters.

"He is" I then admitted. "Barely, but still alive"

His teeth clenched so hard I was afraid they might break under the pressure, and his hand was suddenly grasping my neck so tightly I could barely breath.

"K-Kanda…" I choked, clawing at his arm while trying to break free.

It wasn't fully him anymore, though. There was something else, something almost animal, too wild to be tame and seriously freaking me out.

 _Ary!_

"Kanda, that's enough!"

Grabbing the wrist, Allen forced the asshole's fingers opened, and I finally managed to free myself. Coughing, I could hear the boy yelling something at the he-she samurai, but couldn't make out what, my whole attention focused on the amount of energy forming under our feet.

I caught on too late.

"Get away!" my voice was oddly high-pitched, but if was enough to warn them.

Pumping my legs as much as I could, I jumped from my spot, but not in time. The floor glowed as an eye opened under our feet, and I felt something being forcefully pulled from my head.

Gasping, I fall on the floor in a 'THUD' as the other two collapsed, eyes wide open but unable to see.

I couldn't bring myself to care right now, though.

 _Trickster!_

He didn't answer.

 _Trickster! Come on, answer me! Gab… come on…_

I couldn't feel him anymore, couldn't hear him anymore.

 _Gabriel…_

He completely disappeared.

"Argh!"

I felt a warm and metallic liquid drip from my mouth as thousands of needles came to fill the empty space left by Gabriel's disappearance.

"God… damn it…"

"What have you done to them!?" exclaimed Bak.

"Stop yelling" Wisely ordered calmly. "I'm just playing with Yuu Kanda's brain a little"

"Didn't Road went there too?" asked Sheril, apparently ticked off.

"The Boy followed them" added Tyki, seemingly annoyed.

"Wisely always have been quite crude" chuckled the Earl. "But you got little Gabby trapped too. Now, we have to wait for him to come back before we can send Aryane dear away"

"Shut up, onlookers" Wisely tightened his lips. "Nine years ago, two Exorcists awakened… right, Alma Karma? Inside Yuu Kanda is the past that he shared with you. I'll help you get back what you've lost"

A weird eye, much like the ones that had appeared on Allen and Kanda's foreheads, awoken on this Alma Karma dude's.

"Please! Don't do this!" exclaimed the Old Geezer. "Don't… Please don't touch Alma! Please! I beg you! Please, leave him alone!"

"Don't be silly, old master" replied Wisely with a sick smirk. "We're the Noahs. We have no mercy to show you guys"

"As if we'd want… yours…" I wheezed out. "Fuck…"

"Umh?" he tilted his way my way in wonder. "You're in a bad shape. I guess pulling that Angel of yours out of your mind so forcefully did damage you a little"

"W-what… have you done?" I spat a clot of red to the side. "Where… is he?"

"In Yuu Kanda's mind" he shrugged. "Don't act so pathetic, you'll survive. I think"

"I'm going… to rip out that-that eye of… yours" I swore under my breath. "T-then you'll s-see… who's the pa-pathetic… one…"

This was a really bad situation. Gabriel had been sent God-knows-where with Allen, Kanda and Road, I couldn't activate my Innocence because of the spell from sooner, my legs were still fragile because of the nerve damage, I was surrounded by three Noahs and the Millennium Earl along with many hostages, and I wasn't even able to move without risking blacking out.

Just fucking great.

What should I do, though? I had to gain back my strength, and fast, or else they'd achieve whatever goal they came for. Plus, they could very well decide this instant to just pick me up and send me somewhere else, and I wouldn't be able to fight back.

Okay, breath. Calm. Breath. Think, Ary, think. The normal way to get back my strength would be eating and sleeping. I can't do any of that right now. The second way would be to use Gabriel's energy, which would be impossible seeing as he decided to have a fucking field trip in Jerkface's head. The third and last way would be meditating, but I never was really good at it.

Well.

 _Meditation it is._

Taking slow, deep breaths as subtlety as possible, I closed my eyes to concentrate on the thrumming of my heart, ignoring the pain as much as I could. After a few moments, my breathing became in synch with the palpitations and I felt my blood flow slow down somewhat. Usually, I would fail right there and then, unable to concentrate. However, now was seriously not the time to let go of whatever peace of mind I had managed to grasp. So, I took my time, leaving all my thoughts behind to focus on the pulsing glow in my mindscape.

That light was the core of my Innocence, to put it simply. Before becoming a vessel for Gabriel, I had become an Host with _Angel_. The real Angel's presence merely strengthened the abilities given by my Innocence and allowed me to uncover it's full potential. However, since I reached _Archangel_ , I had been using Trickster's energy, and not my Innocence's. It allowed me to activate my anti-Akuma weapon without having to loose as much life-force as before, and even regain a few years of my life.

Right now, the core was sealed. If I unsealed it, then I would gradually gain back my strength way faster than I would in my state, but it would also mean loosing around a third or so of what was left for me to live.

I didn't mind, though. I had gotten used to that idea a long time ago.

So, without loosing any more time, I broke the lock upon my Innocence's core. I snapped back to reality as my blood pulsed in my veins with a newfound vigor. Feeling my strength coming back, I slightly lifted my head to look around. Nothing had changed, and not one seemed to remark my healing form that had stopped shaking.

Morons probably thought I was unconscious or something.

The air shifted around Allen, and I realized he was somehow waking up.

Suddenly on his knees, he punched Kanda with a snarl.

"YOU IDIOT!"

The eyes on their foreheads broke in pieces as the swordsman flew crashing against the nearest wall.

Warmth followed in my mind.

 _What have you done!?_

 _Nice to see you too. But, I had to do it, Trickster. I can't stay powerless like that. The situation is only going to get worse by now, I needed all the strength I could gain._

 _I know but… damn it, you seriously broke the lock too… fuck, okay, I'm going to seal it back and then take over, alright?_

 _But I can't-_

 _Ary, this is serious! With our training, you had managed to get your limit to 48! Now it's back to 39! You have to stop_ now _!_

 _Tche. Fine._

Gritting my teeth as he locked the core once again –it wasn't exactly a comfortable experience-, Wisely started crying while gripping his head, his face scrunched in what seemed utter agony and his own Third Eye cracked.

"It hurts! My head hurts!" he whined. "Itai, itai, itai, itai!"

"Don't… don't act so pathetic" I grunted, getting back on my feet. "You'll survive, unfortunately"

He glared at me despite the tears streaming down his face, and the ground started shaking. Deciding to use my amazing acting skills for now, I fall back to my knees as if all strength had left my body for good.

 _Trickster?_

 _You're stable._

 _What's my limit?_

 _…_

 _Trickster!_

 _36\. It won't move for a good while, though, and you might be able to give it a boost if we train more later. However, you have to let me take over._

 _What about the rest? Leverrier's here._

 _I seriously doubt we'll go back to the Order, Ary._

I bit my lower lip at that.

 _I'm sorry._

 _Use the effect of surprise. They still think I'm unable to fight._

 _…_ _got it. Be ready._

 _I already am._

The floor cracked, tiles flew around and pipes trapped the hostages so tightly they were struggling to catch some air. A moment later, I found myself walking back to the rest of the Noahs, controlled by Sheril's strings.

 _This is annoying._

 _You tell me. Do you think he raped some girls with that thing?_

 _The hell kind of question is that, Hime!?_

"A-Ary! Everyone!" Allen tried to move our way, but stopped when the Earl giggled.

"Did you fully enjoyed the story of love and tragedy created by the Order's disgusting act, Allen Walker?" he asked viciously. "Or rather, the Fourteenth?"

 _What-_

 _I'll show you later._

"Second Exorcists…" the Millennium Bastard chanted. "The Order sure does terrible things, doesn't it? They want to go that far to win the crusade, uh?"

"Shut up!"

"We're having a party to celebrate your last day at the Order, remember? Well, everyone's here now. Shall we start the entertainment?"

I felt a chill run down my spine, and glanced at the amount of pipes under our feet, horrified. That aura… growing, shifting… like a snake ready to strike it's prey…

"He's awakening, isn't he, Aryane dear?"

At the Earl's question, I glared.

"I'm not a fucking stalker, Earl" I remarked smartly. "I don't watch people in their sleep like some other creeps around here…"

The remark was directed at Leverrier, for when he had put Tewaku and Link after Allen and I, but Sheril seemed to actually take offense to that, which made me shudder slightly.

 _You just had to go all smartass on them, didn't you?_

 _Shush, I'm trying to play it down right now._

 _Totally working._

 _I'm sensing sarcasm._

The room shook on it's foundations once again as the aura froze. Feeling a little sick, I was seriously tempted to throw up on the damn Noah keeping me next to him like a puppet just for the hell of it.

However, I wasn't suicidal right now.

 _That's new._

 _The fuck is that supposed to mean?_

"It looks like the judgment dawn of Alma Karma has finally come!" exclaimed giddily the Earl. "Be prepared!"

The pipes supporting us raised and I tried to warn Allen to get out of the way, only to find myself choking on my own words.

"Now, now, don't go and be a party pooper" Sheril scolded with a taunting smirk. "The fun's only beginning"

 _Trickster?_

 _Not now, we have to wait for their attention to be elsewhere._

 _But the Alma dude's waking up!_

 _It's too late to stop it him now, just bear with it, okay?_

"Alma's waking up!"

I really wanted to hit Bak right now.

"His hatred is being converted to the energy of the Dark Matter that is inside his body!"

"This is bad! Alma is about to turn into an Akuma!" exclaimed Johnny.

The obscure energy was building up and my vision blurred. Blinking a few times to stay awake, I had to muster all of my self-control not to slip in my mindscape and stay there for a while.

"Kill them" ordered darkly the Earl.

"No!"

Allen tried to intervene, but Sheril blocked his path with a piece of floor in the guts. Cringing as I felt my skin peel off under the heat, I wanted to scream when I realized it was Akuma virus.

I was going to be fine, Allen too. But what about the others!?

"Alma! Alma, stop it! Many people are in there!" yelled my friend. "You're going to kill them, stop it!"

 _Gabriel!_

 _Do it!_

Instantly, I lifted _Shield_ , therefore cutting the strings keeping me in place. Before Sheril could react at my sudden freedom, I extended my protection to all of those in the room, before letting the Angel take over.

 _Rest, Ary. All's going to be fine._

I closed my eyes.

* * *

 **So, I'll explain better what's up with her Innocence: When she became an Acomodator -when her mother turned into an Akuma- she synchronised with _Angel._ At the same time, she became Gabriel's Host. However, at that point, they weren't even close to be in synch. So, saved for the nigthmares, there was no link whatsoever between them. Then, it turned to _Archangel_ while at the Asian Branch. At that point, she started using Gabriel's powers, not her Innocence's. Using both of them would have killed ****her and Gabriel being stronger, it was natural for her to seek out _his_ strneght. Their synch rate only grew after the Level Four's attack. However, to be sure she wouldn't use her Innocence's power -which would seriously fucked up everything-, they locked it away. By unlocking it, she gained back the power sealed away, but at the price of many years of the life she had managed to gain back.**

 **If you're still confused, don't hesitate to ask questions!**

 **French traduction: "Fucking bloody hell... I'm going to rip his balls off... and choke him with them..."**

 **Question: If you could choose to pass one day with any Noah you wanted -they wouldn't be allowed to kill you-, who'd it be?**

 **Reviews!**


	40. When Your Best Isn't Enough

**Two chapters are left before the end of _Hallow!_ Whew, that makes me feel weirdly proud and sad at the same time...**

 **Question: I think it'd be fun to hang out with the twins. They're so funny!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The American Branch Headquarters had exploded.

Nothing but rubbles and dust was left.

The Noahs, safely above, stared at the destruction at their feet with glee and impatience, knowing the best had yet to come.

The roc cracked, and a body landed on the ground.

At first confused, the half-man, half-Akuma then took in his surroundings, eying the fuming ruins around him.

His eyes locked with tormented ice ones.

"Yuu?"

His voice echoed in the silence that etched along the tension present between the two, and the Apostles of Evil watched the ultimate chapter of this lifelong story of love and tragedy finally unfolded.

 _"_ _Fuck!"_

The moment broke as a few explosions were heard all around, revealing the scientists all safe and sound. A white haired boy was staring at everything, confused. A red-haired girl stood high and mighty in the middle of it all, arms spread wide to extend her protection to all the members of the Branch.

Releasing her _Shield_ with a tired huff, she then raised an angry gaze at the Noahs, and the Millennium Earl instantly noted the glow of her orbs.

No, not her's.

 _Gabriel's._

"Well, well, seems like little Gabby finally deigned to join the party!" he cackled.

 _"_ _Earl"_ he simply greeted through the girl's body and voice. _"It has been a while. What, a few thousand years or so? Not that I missed you or anything. I could go for eternity without seeing your stupid face"_

"Already on the petty insults, eh? You truly haven't change" remarked the big boss.

"G-Gabriel?" asked Allen in wonder.

 _"_ _Ary is too tired, so I took over for now"_ he answered the silent question. _"Earl! I don't take well to bastards who harm my Host! You see, I've grown quite attached to her, and I'm kind of in a vindictive mood right now…"_

He cracked his knuckles, or rather her's, but the Earl merely shook his head.

"Now, now, don't steal the spotlight" he scolded. "There's already a tearful reunion happening before our eyes!"

At his words, all attention turned back to the awakened boy and the swordsman.

Alma Karma took a step ahead, a weird glint in his pale eyes.

"I had a dream…"

With that, he fully started walking towards Kanda, who watched him approaching with a calculating gaze.

"I finally came to know… why you betrayed me… I held a grudge against you… for destroying me and only me… Because you continued to live… humans didn't repent… Because of you… I became an Akuma!"

Energy crackled around he who was once human, and a sick grin graced his lips.

Kanda unsheathed his katana with a bored air.

"Then… I'll destroy you"

At his words, Gabriel's attention was however diverted towards the East, where two auras had started… breaking.

Something similar was happening far to the North, and way closer to their position by the South.

 _The Thirds have Alma's cells_.

He gritted his teeth at the realization. That meant that the orange and purple fight had taken a violent turn, and the purple was winning.

 _Shit! Tewaku, Tokusa, Madarao and the other two-_

 _We have to choose, Ary. We can do something for them, but that would mean leaving Alma Karma and Kanda._

 _But- but-_

 _"_ _Allen"_ he called over at the boy.

"H-Hai?"

 _"_ _The Thirds are in trouble"_ he said simply. _"I might be able to save them, but that would mean leaving. We can't let Kanda and Alma destroy each other, though, seeing as it must be part of the Earl's schemes"_

"I'll take care of them" he assured, getting up with determination settling on his features. "Go"

 _Hime?_

 _…_ _let's move._

 _"_ _I'll be back as soon as possible"_ the Angel promised.

Then, he spread her wings, ready to take off.

"W-wait! What do you think you are doing, Exorcist Aryane!?" exclaimed angrily Leverrier, lying not far away.

 _"_ _Saving your subordinates, Leverrier"_ he answered.

Then, without another glance behind, because he knew it would only make it harder for his precious vessel, he took flight.

"C-come back here! Exorcist Aryane!"

 _Bastard. He better thank us when they come back alive._

 _Hime-_

 _I know, I know, we're not going back. Just get done with it, would you? We don't have much more time._

 _…_ _right._

* * *

When he finally got to them, both of the boys were kneeling on the ground, face scrunched up in utter agony. The Noah with the sunglasses was still there, but wasn't attacking anymore, merely watching the whole ordeal with a sick smile.

Gabriel landed between the three of them.

"E-Exorcist…" recognized Tokusa between his teeth.

At his sudden appearance, the black man got back on his feet. However, the possessed girl seriously didn't have the time.

 _Trickster, what can we do?_

 _We can't stop the evolution of the Alma cells. They're going to fully turn into Akumas whether we like it or not. However, we can put a safety of some sort within them._

 _What do you mean?_

 _If we can put one of your feathers in their hearts,_ Shield _will act on its own and protect said hearts. The Earl is going to take them under his control with the help the Akuma inside them, but when you activate_ Shield _, it should disrupt the control._

 _It won't work instantly, will it?_

 _…_ _no, it won't. It's better than nothing, though._

 _Go for it, then._

Completely ignoring the Seventh Disciple, he crouched next to the two green-haired man, pulling out two steeled feathers.

 _"_ _I can't save you right now"_ he said quietly. _"Alma Karma has awoken and has been fully transformed into an Akuma. As long as he'll live, you'll be under his cells' control_ "

"T-then… kill us…" pleaded Madarao.

 _"_ _You still have a chance"_ assured Gabriel. _"To become yourselves again. Are you ready to take it?"_

Their bodies arched as their flesh started to turn to a sick red, lumps appearing all over them and their arms becoming alive.

They exchanged a glance despite the agony, and nodded stiffly.

"We… we're ready…" ordered Tewaku's sister.

 _"_ _I'm going to stab you"_

Their eyes widened but, before the thought of backing out could even cross their minds, Gabriel had already made his move and plunged his feathered blades into both of their hearts. Blood splattered, and he wiped away a few drops that had tainted his –well, more like Aryane's- face with a little scrunch of his nose.

He never liked blood.

 _... You actually stabbed them._

 _Can't say I didn't warn them. Now, they're going to turn into Akumas. We can't stop it, as long as Alma Karma is alive. However, we'll be able to bring them back when the time comes._

 _How exactly?_

Shield _, when activated, will destroy the Akuma cells in their bodies, which is why it won't work instantly. Satisfied?_

 _…_ _yes. We should go find Tewaku, Gushi and Kiredori now._

 _Right._

"W-what… have you… done?" asked Tokusa, gasping.

 _"_ _It'll protect you"_ the vessel assured, getting back on his feet. _"Just bear with it for now. I'll come back as soon as I can"_

With that, as they grew into Akuma bodies, he turned to his opponent, who had been watching without making a move.

"You stabbed your own comrades" he remarked with something akin to disdain.

 _"_ _I did what I had to do"_

On that, he took flight once again, ignoring the Third Exorcist's cries, pleads and curses that echoed after him.

 _Please… just bear with it…_

Gabriel didn't say a word, heading for the next aura.

* * *

He sliced through both of the Level Four in one go, using Link's diversion to his benefits, and the Akumas exploded as he landed next to the wide eyed blond.

"M- Miss Aryane!" he recognized. "What-"

 _"_ _Tewaku!"_

Completely ignoring the Inspector, he ran to the girl's side. She wasn't as advanced in the transformation as the others, her spirit fighting even harder against the possession, but she was loosing her ground.

"A-Ary…" she croaked out, lifting a shaking hand to the face of her friend.

 _We have to tell her!_

 _No time! It's now or never!_

Pulling out another of her feathers, she implanted it straight into the teenager's heart, earning a sharp gasp.

Instantly, the Angel was sent away by a harsh kick to the guts.

"What are you doing!?" yelled Link, eying the blood pooling out from her chest in horror.

 _"_ _I'm saving her life"_ the Host grunted. _"Alma Karma is awake and the Earl has taken over the cells in the Thirds' bodies. They're all transforming into a new form of Akumas"_

"What!? But you just-"

 _"_ _I implanted a protection. It won't take effect immediately, but it'll work"_ he explained.

Link eyed him, more calm and rather suspicious by now.

"You're not Exorcist Aryane" he then stated.

 _"…_ _I'm not. I can't explain right now, but I'm your ally, alright?"_

"What are you?" Link took out a few of his glowing papers. "And what happened to the real Aryane Darkelston?"

The vessel let out an annoyed sigh.

 _Trickster, we have to go now if we want to save Gushi and Kiredori!_

 _It's already too late for them, Hime. We got to Tewaku barely in time. I'm sorry._

She didn't answer, but he could feel her sorrow.

 _"_ _I'm an Angel of the Lord"_ he stated, his aura becoming more imposing. _"But you can call me Gabriel. As for Aryane, she is my Host, and she has been exhausted by her precedent fights, which forced me to take over her body for her own safety"_

Before the man could ask him anything more, though, Tewaku started screaming.

" _I have to go back to the American Branch immediately"_ he announced, frowning.

"But Tewaku-"

 _"_ _Let her be. We can't do anything more for her. And_ don't _bring her there_ "

He left as her body grew into an Akuma's, hoping Link wouldn't try anything rash.

* * *

When he finally got back to the American Branch, things weren't looking good. Allen was fighting off Tyki, while Kanda and Alma kept going at each other's throat. For –who had apparently been summoned by Bak meanwhile- was currently protecting the scientists from Sheril's attacks, and the Earl, Wisely and Road were watching everything without batting an eye, the second one still clutching his head in pain.

 _"_ _ENOUGH!"_

Landing between the swordsman and his archenemy, he activated _Shield_ in time to protect himself from the oncoming blows and sent the two of them flying away.

"And who's that?" spat Alma, his arm reforming.

"Step away, Aryane" sneered Kanda, lifting his sword.

 _"_ _This is all part of the Earl's schemes"_ stated the Angel imperiously. _"Do not fall to his manipulations!"_

"I do not care about the Earl!" exclaimed the Akuma. "All I care about is my hate and Yuu's death!"

He shot a purple beam at him, but the vessel easily deflected it towards the Millennium Asshole, who avoided it without much trouble.

"Don't interfere like that, little Gabby" he taunted. "I thought you liked teary endings?"

"Out of the way!"

Kanda's sword, shining with Innocence, pierced through the _Shield_ and nicked his neck, drawing blood. Gasping at the sudden burning sensation, the glow in his eyes dimming somewhat as his control over the body slipped.

" _Wh_ at _t_ he fu _ck_!?"

Both voices had come out as one, startling the now white-haired samurai who took a step back.

"Gabriel?" he finally recognize.

But the intelligent glint in his eyes had been replaced once again by pure insanity and a one tracked mind, set on destroying Alma Karma.

"I SAID OUT OF THE WAY!"

This time, Gabriel truly had to jump away to avoid the next onslaught of attacks as Aryane slipped back to her mindscape. However, as soon as the Angel backed out from the fight, both Second Exorcists were back to killing each other.

 _Damn it…_

 _We can't do anything for them, he won't listen to us._

 _Then let's switch with Kiddo, he might be able to knock some sense into him._

 _Good thinking._

He flew at the next dual and knocked Tyki away, freeing the boy for now.

"G-Gabriel!"

 _"_ _Go stop these two, I can take care of Mikk"_ he assured.

"Hai!"

Grabbing his sword, he darted towards those who were once friends, letting Gabriel face the Noah, who was sporting a smug smirk.

"You should have fled while you had the chance" he remarked.

 _"_ _I don't abandon my friends"_ replied coldly the Angel.

"That's new"

He gritted his teeth at that.

 _What is he talking about?_

 _Not now, Hime._

Tyki disappeared, but his hand, which was trying to pierce through it's heart, was nearly cut off by the armor that suddenly appeared.

The Noah hissed as his wrist burned, and jumped away.

"That was a cheap trick" the man grunted.

 _"_ _Not as cheap as the Teez you tried to put in"_ retorted the vessel.

 _We have to act quickly, Kiddo seems unable to do it alone._

 _Then let's go with the Second Level._

Without wasting anymore time, he grabbed the feather pendant.

"Silversword!"

His weapon formed just in time to block the oncoming bunch of gigantic Teez flying at him, and barely stopped the foot coming at his face. Slicing around as the evil butterflies dropped like leaves in autumn, he suddenly felt the pull on his muscles.

Instantly cutting the strings off, his attention diverted one second too much towards Sheril, who was still battling For despite interfering in Gab's own fight, and his breath caught in his throat when Tyki hit him square in the chest. Crashing against one of the debris, a scream suddenly reverberated on the whole battlefield. Twisting around to avoid Tyki's incoming fist, he looked over at Allen, and saw the boy clutching his shoulder in pain as Kanda pierced Alma from side to side with his Innocence.

 _Kanda… attacked him…_

 _He's not himself anymore, Hime. He can't control his-_

 _Bullshit! I'm going to talk to him. Gimme back my body!_

 _W-what? The hell do you think you're doing!?_

"Pay attention!"

He grabbed Mikk's oncoming foot and threw away the Noah with all his strength.

 _I'm serious! Let me talk to him, I'm sure I can knock some sense into him!_

 _No way!_

 _Gabriel, this is MY body and these are MY friends! You will let me out this instant!_

 _…_ _I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that._

 _Dafuck!? Gab, let me out!_

Suddenly gaping like a fish out of water, he kneeled, trying to catch his breath as Aryane stormed in the back of his mind and blocked his air pipe, trying to force him out.

He cringed a little. She had never been more furious.

And he never despised himself so much.

 _We had a_ deal! _Gabriel, let me_ out!

He knew. Hell, he knew. But he couldn't let her come back right now. If he did, there was no guarantee they'd get out of this alive, and no matter how much trust he had in her, he just couldn't risk it.

Not now.

 _GABRIEL!_

He had a promise to keep.

" _I'm… sorry…"_ he choked.

"Oh? Milady seems quite pissed" mocked Tyki, suddenly hovering over him. "She wants to come back? Why don't you let her then?"

 _"_ _Fuck… off…"_

The Apostle of Lust kicked him in the side, sending him rolling in the dust as he clawed to his throat, his lungs trying to work in vain.

 _A-Ary… you're… killing us…_

 _GET THE FUCK OUT!_

His head stung and, no longer able to keep control, he let go of whatever he had left. As he returned to the mindscape, the girl glared at him before taking her body back, locking him away.

They would talk later.

* * *

"D-damn… it…" I coughed, feeling kind of dizzy.

Gabriel didn't answer, most probably knocked out due to my intervention.

I won't complain, though. Bastard deserved that one.

Someone grabbed me by the hair, forcefully pulling me up. Struggling, I met Tyki's amused and mocking golden eyes.

"Trouble in paradise, eh?" he grinned.

"Fuck… you…"

With that, I kneed him in the family jewels. He released his grip somewhat, allowing me to send my knee up and cracking his nose. Fully letting me go, he stumbled away, blood dripping.

"It's been twice that you hit my nose, now" he grunted. "Do you hate it that much?"

"It hate… all of you, if it can… comfort" I replied, my breath coming back.

"So cold" he pouted.

"Feathered Blades!"

As he avoided the steeled projectiles, I made a run for it towards the trio battling farther away. Kanda was lying on the ground, apparently regenerating, and Allen was trapped by Alma's tail.

"Are you Yuu's friend?" he asked with an insane smile. "Can't I… forgive him, you ask?"

"Back off bitch!"

Not batting an eye, I slashed his tail in two. He snarled as Allen fall back on the ground, and I felt his aura spike hatefully as he collapsed.

"Ary! But where's-"

"Later" I cut, helping him up. "Geez, I leave you for two minutes and you find yourself in trouble, uh?"

There was a crackle of Dark Matter, and I realized Alma wasn't getting up.

"Oh?" cackled the Earl, standing high above. "Having trouble with your regenerative capacities? Well, you're only an improvised Akuma made from someone useless, after all. Even if you gain power because of the Dark Matter, it won't be enough, Alma Karma"

"Shut up… Earl…" he ordered, shaking slightly. "As long… as I could kill… Yuu…"

"Why, Alma!?" exclaimed Allen, picking him up. "Why do you want-"

"Heads down!"

Spreading my wings above them, I swallowed a scream when _Mugen_ sliced through my steeled wings.

"Ary!"

Ignoring the white-haired boy, I sent the swordsman flying against a barely standing wall, very annoyed.

"The hell do you think you're doing, Jerkface!?" I shook my fist his way as he got back on his feet.

"I'm going to destroy him" he announced in a blank tone. "Hand him over"

"You truly aren't thinking, are you?" I realized, remembering the Angel's words.

"Seeing Alma like this, you've blocked out your thoughts" added Allen, kind of horrified by the whole situation. "Because it's so painful to think! You aren't even trying to face Alma! I thought… I thought he was someone so precious that you wanted to live together, even when it meant you had to leave behind your anger towards the Order!"

I frowned at that. It must have been from Kanda's memories, then, but Gabriel couldn't show me right now, and I really didn't want to hear him either.

"Why are you running, Kanda!?" yelled my friend angrily.

It felt horrible, as if spears pierced through my whole body and very soul as Kanda's aura grew so strong the rest could see it clearly too.

He totally lost control.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he asked, his pupils so dilated they seemed to disappear. "It was your fault that Alma was turned into an Akuma. The Earl turned him into a monster because of you, who is in the Order even though you're a Noah!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" I exclaimed, activating _Archangel_. "You're the one running, Jerkface! Don't put this on someone else's back!"

"You're no better!" he snarled my way, tightening his grip on the hilt of his katana. "You have the power to finish all of this, yet you hide behind stupid excuses like friends and family! The fuck are you doing here!? You can find the Heart, then what are you fucking waiting for!?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

I ran at him, he ran at me.

"Gugen: _Exploding Soul Slicer!"_

I froze, fear taking the reins.

" _Hell's Salvation!"_

He stopped in tracks as I was fully hit by his attack. The armor exploded, and I hit my head against a metal bar. I winced in pain, but had the right set of mind to instantly pull away my illusion.

He collapsed instantly, eyes wide and unseeing. I then realized what I had done.

I placed an hand over my mouth to keep me from throwing up.

I had used _Hell's Salvation_ on him. On _Kanda_. On a _friend_.

What the hell was _wrong_ with me?

"I'm sorry… God, I'm sorry…" I whispered, falling to my knees. "I couldn't- I just reacted- I didn't want…"

And suddenly, he was back on his feet. Looming over me me, staring down at my trembling form with so much hate I actually wanted to cry.

He raised his katana above my head, ready to strike, but I couldn't move, unable to do otherwise then hold his hazy gaze.

"I'm sorry…"

The blade went down, coated in Innocence.

There was a gasp.

My breath was taken away.

Blood spilled.

A tear rolled down my cheek as my mouth opened in a silent scream.

A second later, my scream wasn't so silent anymore.

"ALLEN!"

* * *

 **Waaa! This makes me so sad... This episode was amazing, but so, so sad... Also, there _is_ a reason why Gab refused to let her control again. And, of course, Allen decided to play martyr again and take the hit. Also, dont, hesitate to ask questions if you're not sure about the ****whole 'Third Exorcists protected by _Shield'_ thing.**

 **Question: Why do you think Gab refused to give her control again?**

 **Reviews!**


	41. Traitors Suck, Apocryphos Even More

**One more chapter after this one, OMFG!**

 **Answer: Well, you'll find out soon enough *wink***

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

My cry, loud and clear, ensured the sudden silence on the whole battlefield.

Allen coughed, and blood splattered my face, but I really couldn't care less at the moment.

"Allen…" I repeated, dumbstruck.

He had stepped in. He fucking jumped in the middle of it, taking the deadly blow in my place.

He smiled down at me, as if he wasn't currently being stabbed by one of our friends.

"I'm... fine, Ary" he assured.

Then, he tilted his head towards Kanda, who was panting harshly, his whole body shaking violently.

"Please… take a close look… at Alma's face… why is he… making a face… like that? I can't… tell…"

His skin started turning some sort of brown and ashes as a faraway melody made itself heard.

The aura of the Millennium Earl spiked in utter joy, and I suddenly understood.

That was his plan.

From the very beginning, he wanted to turn us against each other, only to wake up the Noah in Allen.

"Fuck no!"

Grabbing Kanda's shoulders, I pushed him away along with his blood coated weapon, and the white-haired teen collapsed. I grabbed his shoulders, shaking him roughly.

"Stay awake, Kiddo!" I yelled angrily. "Don't let it overcome you!"

Behind, I could faintly hear Kanda and Alma facing once again as the first one slowly gained back his senses.

It was too late, though.

"Allen, snap out of it!"

Dark Matter crackled around him, burning my palms and forcing me away. Then, a sphere lifted around him, sending me crashing in the debris a few meters farther.

The piano melody became louder as a laugh joined in the dark symphony. From the corner of my eye, I saw Kanda's aura going back to normal, now agitated by worry and some sort of fear.

The Earl started jumping happily.

"Thank you, Kanda Yuu!" he exclaimed in glee. "He's awakened! Thanks to you severely injuring Allen Walker with your Innocence, the Fourteenth, who is concealed in him, has been fully awakened! Because a Noah never forgets the hatred towards God… towards Innocence! The more he gets hurt, the more it gushes out!"

"He won't let him!" I assured, getting up despite my shaking. "Allen won't let him take over!"

"This is the end of Allen Walker!" he replied. "Thanks to you!"

There was a sudden burst of energy coming our way and the barrier surrounding us disappeared.

 _Wait, barrier? Why wasn't I blocked out t-_

Oh, right. Gabriel still had control when we came back.

Then, out of nowhere, the melody stopped playing, drawing my attention back to the white-haired teen. His cursed eye had activated, effectively waking him up. The sphere of Dark Matter disappeared, and he fell back on his two feet, a little confused but back to himself.

So of course, I reacted.

"YOU UTTER IDIOT!"

I hit his head.

Hard.

Again. And again. And again.

"A-Ary! Ouch! Ary, stop- Itai!- Ary, stop it!"

"You fucking stupid, moronic asstard!" I yelled angrily. "The hell do you think you were doing, jumping in like that!? It was reckless and idiotic and- and-"

The tears kept flowing out as I choked on my sobs and tried to wipe them away, in vain.

"It's my job" I protested weakly. "To protect all of you… it's _my_ job…"

His confused face dropped in a soft smile, and he ruffled my hair.

"I warned you I was taking over, didn't I?"

"Shut up!"

He chuckled, before his left eye acted again, directing his attention at Alma karma, who was still in Kanda's arms.

He frowned, before his eyes widened.

"B-Beansprout?" Kanda was truly back to normal, then.

"No… Alma! Alma, you're-"

"SHUT UP!" the Akuma screeched.

Energy gathered suddenly, and my eyes widened.

"He's imploding! Watch out!"

Not exactly thinking, I spread all of _Shield_ around the three of them. Then, as everything turned white, I remembered… I didn't have my armor anymore.

Well fuck.

* * *

Allen gasped as everything around him exploded. However, some sort of wall was protecting him from the debris. Gazing around, he realized that Kanda and Alma were more or less in the same position, even though it seemed less effective with the two of them.

 _Shield_.

That was Ary's shield!

But…

There was a flash of light blinding him for a few seconds and, when he reopened his eyes, the dust had settled down and the fuming remains of the American Branch were no more. Looking down, he saw Kanda falling to pieces. Having been at the heart of the explosion, even Ary's _Shield_ hadn't been able to fully protect him.

"Kanda!"

Running down at him, he realized in horror that the skin looked like porcelain, all white and cracked. One of the arm had fallen apart, and a part of his face just wasn't there anymore.

 _Alma became an Akuma… to bury his true identity… And Kanda never knew, past the nine last years searching for that person, never knowing it was in vain…_

"How can he deal with that!?" he angrily hit the ground.

Next to him, however, Alma was reforming. His heart had been preserved, allowing the Second Exorcist to regenerate.

"If he finds out I'm _that_ person… he'll stop searching for me" he said. "But the promise we made… so long as Yuu is bound by that promise to _that_ person, he'll always belong to _that_ person… He'll always be…"

As his upper body was now fully present, yet cracked as much as Kanda's, he smiled.

"Where's… Yuu's body? Where is it?"

He started crawling, apparently unable to see.

"I want to be… by his side…" he pleaded. "Where is… Yuu? Yuu…"

Tears streamed down his face.

"I really didn't… want to loose him… no matter what!"

Allen was now crying too. Without a word, he picked the Akuma up and placed him down next to Kanda.

The cursed boy smiled.

"You're kind…"

Dark Matter started pouring from him.

"It's fine… let it be… thank… you…"

And he fully turned into an Akuma.

"ALMA!"

"Bean… sprout…"

He turned at Kanda's body, bewildered. He was alive! Kanda was alive! His arm was back in place and, already, his skin was taking back some color. That meant Ary's _Shield_ had worked for him too, and it must have been the same that preserved Alma Karma's heart…

For a moment, he wondered where the hell was the red-haired girl, before focusing again on the current situation.

There was only one solution.

Using _Clown Belt_ to grab the Millennium Earl, he used the momentum to boost himself at Alma's height, Kanda finally waking up in his arms.

"Do you remember the place where we were sent for our first mission together?" he asked.

"Hai"

"No one will find us there for a while" concluded the swordsman.

"Hai"

Not hesitating one more second, Allen let go of him, and both Second Exorcists started falling.

"Kanda!"

He tilted his head the boy's way, as if time was slowing down just for them.

"Renny said… that if someone could really save Alma, it was you" he informed with a smile. "And I agree with her"

A moment passed, before Kanda actually smiled back.

"Thank you, Allen Walker. I'm glad you're here"

As the white-haired teen's eyes widened, Kanda latched onto Alma's neck and hugged him as hard as he could.

"Alma…"

"Yuu?"

"Let's get out of here together… and go someplace where there is no Innocence, no Order… this time, for sure… together…"

The Akuma let go of his tears, and Allen landed not far from the Millennium Earl.

"Ark Gate!" he chanted.

The door opened under the two, who had started falling, and Allen smiled, knowing they'd finally find their peace.

"Bind!"

Suddenly, glowing papers flew and trapped the Second Exorcists in midair. Kanda's eyes widened in despair. They were so close, so very close to freedom…

"Link! What are you doing!?" exclaimed Allen, swirling at the Inspector.

The blond man simply gritted his teeth, keeping his hold onto the failed runaways.

 _"_ _Silversword!"_

All gazed in surprise as the magical papers flew in confetti, freeing the two friends, who started falling once again.

"Aka… hato?" Kanda blinked in surprise.

She smiled at him, but he could clearly see her tears.

"I'm sorry. Be safe"

They passed through the gate.

* * *

The door of the Ark exploded a moment after. I wiped my tears and spread my wings as wide as I could, ignoring the ringing pain reverberating through my whole body.

"W-what have you done!?" yelled angrily Leverrier down there.

"Kanda Yuu and Alma Karma have accomplished more than their share in this conflict!" I replied imperiously. "They are no longer part of this war!"

"This is treason of the greatest caliber, Exorcist Aryane!" retorted the Inspector.

"Fuck off!"

Unable to stay in air any longer, I landed more or less gently next to Allen, who grabbed my arm to stop me from falling from our perch. He smiled at me, before gazing at everyone at our feet and the Noahs gathering behind us.

"We won't let the Order or the Noahs interfere with them again" he warned.

"And for whoever who stands in our way, we'll _crush_ them" I added towards Link, cracking my knuckles.

His jaw clenched, and I then remarked Tewaku under his arm.

I paled.

"Why have you brought her here!?" I practically screeched. "Get her away!"

"Too late" taunted the Earl.

The Inspector was forced to drop her as she started squirming and screaming again, the papers binding her going in flames as her transformation came back in force.

"W-what's happening to her?" asked Allen, _Crown Clown_ activating.

"The Thirds had Alma cells in their bodies" I informed, gritting my teeth. "They're turning into Akumas. Kiredori and Gushi are dead. Madarao and Tokusa fully transformed by now. And Tewaku…"

"That's the problems you were talking about sooner… or rather Gabriel" he suddenly understood. "What can we do?"

"I've- Gabriel already done what he could" I answered, more coldly. "Just don't kill her"

He shot me an alarmed look, probably because I called the Angel by his name, but didn't press farther as the girl's eyes turned red.

She started sinking.

"Nii-san…" she called, her eyes watering. "Everyone… don't leave me alone…"

"Get back, Link!" I ordered.

"Tewaku!"

Completely ignoring me, he went to grab her, but was forced away by the Dark Matter surrounding her.

She turned her gaze at me.

"Ary… nee…"

And disappeared.

Closing my eyes as hard as I could to keep more tears from falling, I turned to glare at the Earl, who had started laughing.

"You came up with the Third Exorcists Plan" he said. "I can understand very well where you're coming from. That action is just natural, since you're trying to survive. However, we have rules, you know?"

His eternal grin turned darker.

"We have to fight to the death using our own Gods! And I absolutely will not allow you to stray from that path!"

Behind him, I saw the Noah with the sunglasses entering a portal, Madarao and Tokusa unconscious under his arms. Sheril followed with Road on his shoulder, and Wisely was next, sending a mocking wave.

"If you desire power, you should find the Heart" he added, sending me a glance. "As for us, we'll use the Third Exorcists as our pawns… following the rules"

Tyki walked away, Tewaku in his arms. I clenched my fists angrily, but knew I couldn't do anything right now. And with that, apparently happy with his little speech, the Earl made his move to walk away, before suddenly remembering something.

"Oh, that's right! You two over there, the ones flagrantly violating the rules over and over" he shot at Allen and I. "We'll come to get you soon"

He sank in the portal, which closed instantly after.

There was a moment of heavy silence, before my legs suddenly gave in. Deactivating _Archangel_ , I gasped, pain blurring my vision as the adrenaline slowly edged away.

"Ary!"

Allen tried to crouch next to me, but found himself trapped in Link's magic papers. However, I couldn't bring myself to care at the moment.

I closed my eyes.

* * *

I gazed around the white mindscape. The beautiful forest had been completely destroyed when I forcefully took back control.

Walking around a little, I finally found Gabriel, lying under a tree with his eyes closed, his features expressing a painful slumber.

For a second, I felt bad, before remembering what he had done.

I nudged his side with my foot.

"Wake up"

He groaned, blinked a few times, before jumping out of his skin at my sight.

 _"_ _A-Ary!"_

"What happened back there?" I asked in a harsh voice.

His face dropped in shame, and he looked away.

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Ary. I'm so, very sorry for this. I know we had a deal, and I know I shouldn't have done that, and-"_

"Gabriel, you trapped me in my own fucking mind!" I snapped. "Do you know how it feel, being pushed away from your very conscious and watch all unfold while being unable to do a fucking thing!? I don't care about the deal, but I do care about how you just _betrayed_ me! Words mean nothing compared to the trust I had in you, and yet- yet…"

I sank to my knees, shaking my head to clear away from the memories. He placed an hesitant hand on my shoulder.

"It was horrible…" I whispered. "Feeling control escape me like that… it was so cold, and lonely, and terrifying…"

At that, he hugged me. Unable to stop myself anymore, I hugged back, desperate for some reassurance.

 _"_ _I'm sorry"_

"I know" I choked. "But why, Gab? Why did you do it?"

 _"_ _I… I made a promise. Once. When I was still an Exorcist"_

I could see how painful it was too him, but I had to know.

"Does it has anything to do with Tyki's remark?" I proposed.

His breath hitched a little, sign I got a bull's eye.

Then, he sighed.

 _"_ _I had been sent on a retrieval mission with all of the Exorcists. We had to get the Heart from it's hideout, because word that the Earl found it's location had spread. However, it was a trap. We led him to it, and all… all the other Exorcists, my friends… they covered my back as I ran away with the Heart. They died for our cause so that I could put it to safety"_

"The nightmares…" I suddenly understood.

He nodded, his hold tightening.

 _"_ _After hiding the Heart once again, I erased my own memories, not for protection or anything of the sort, but because I needed, wanted, to forget what tragedy it had led too. Of course, it doesn't work that way"_

His tone was bitter now.

 _"_ _When you became my Host, I remembered faces, voices. That's what cause your own nightmares. Then, when we met for the first time, I remembered my promise. I swore I'd protect the Heart. I swore to defeat the Earl and end this crusade for good. For_ them _."_

"You were afraid that if I messed up, you wouldn't be able to keep your promise" I concluded, somewhat dryly. "I trust you but you don't trust me. Go figures"

Apparently horrified at my words, he pushed me away and forced me to look at him in the eyes.

 _"_ _I do! I do trust you, Ary! I trust you with everything I've got, never doubt that!"_

"Then why?"

 _"_ _I was afraid, not only for my promise, but that I'd loose you too. I couldn't stand the thought. And when it all turned to this, it made me recall the battle from that day and it all became so real… my fear took over, and I'm truly, deeply sorry for that"_

I stayed silent. In a way, I could understand. He was scared. Hell, I was too.

"Fuck"

I couldn't stay mad at him.

At his curious glance, I rolled my eyes and hugged him again. He stilled, before answering to the embrace with relief.

"You're the one who protected me from the explosion, aren't you? You took over at the last moment and retracted some part of _Shield_ on me"

 _"…_ _I did"_

"Thank you"

He didn't answer, but I could feel he was more at ease now. After a few minutes, though, I had to pull away.

"What's going on now?" I asked, sitting more comfortably. "In the end, we're going back to the Order, and Leverrier and Link knows about you, while Kanda just spout everything about the Heart. Apocryphos is more than likely to come, if not for me then for Allen"

 _"_ _Tell everything, then. There is nothing to gain from hiding anymore, what with me taking control like that, he more than likely spotted my presence already"_

"I won't involve the others, though" I frowned. "If I do, they will surely get in trouble"

 _"_ _You're the one leading, Ary. You should probably wake up now, though, so that I can work on healing you. Your legs are in a worst shape than I thought"_

"Take care of my wings first" I shook my head. "I'll need my Innocence in top shape for facing Apocryphos"

 _Got it._

Satisfied, I got back on my feet, waved, then left.

* * *

Taking a sharp intake of breath, I snapped my eyes open, startling those around.

"A-Ary!"

"Yo, Jumper" I greeted, my voice hoarse. "Cherub, Finder one and Finder two, doctor… hey, I'm tied up"

"Ary, what happened!?" exclaimed my girl friend, running to my side. "You were brought back chained and injured with Allen, and both of you have been claimed traitors! Kanda has disappeared, and Lavi and Bookman went missing, and-"

"What!?"

Trying to stand up again, I however had to come to an understanding: I wasn't getting out of there. Not only my Innocence was blocked, but I was tied to the bed and I couldn't even sense the auras.

"What do you mean that Lavi and Bookman went missing?" I asked shakily.

"They were kidnapped by the Noahs" she informed sadly. "I'm sorry, Ary"

I took a deep breath and blinked back the tears.

 _Ary…_

 _I'm fine. We knew very well that it… wouldn't last. As you said, our paths have now diverged. I just… I just hope he's fine._

 _I'm sure he is._

Just as I was about to ask the whereabouts of Allen, two CROWs entered the room. The bindings lifted and glued themselves to my back, effectively blocking my Innocence.

"Follow us" the first one ordered.

"I can't" I shook my head. "My legs have suffered severe nerve damage. I can't use them at the moment"

They exchanged a glance, probably wondering about what to do.

"I'll take her there" Marie stepped in with a smile. "Hope on, Ary"

"Yay! Piggyback ride!"

Seeing as they didn't oppose to the proposition, I climbed on the man's back, and we walked away as I waved at Lenalee, who was staring with worry.

Then, I leaned on Marie's back.

"I'm going to tell them everything" I said.

It was barely a breath, but I knew he heard me, and he slightly tilted his head, his step never faltering once.

* * *

We entered a room where Komui, Leverrier, Bak, Link, Renny, the old geezer and many mores were apparently waiting for my arrival.

"She couldn't walk due to the severity of the damage inflicted to her legs" informed the second CROW.

They nodded, and Marie placed me down in a seat, before bowing and leaving.

The one who apparently was the leader of it all stared down at me, and I stared back without any hesitation.

 _You're really looking for trouble, aren't you?_

 _They're asking for honesty, so I'm giving it to them. All cards on the table now._

"Exorcist Aryane?" he asked first, wanting to confirm.

"That's me"

"You joined the Order seven years ago from your free will, correct?"

"Hai"

"Please explain the reason"

"My father was a Finder, and was killed in action. My mother learned of the incident and made the deal with the Earl. That's when my Innocence activated for the first time" I recalled calmly. "I joined the Order because I wanted to be able to protect the innocents from the Akumas, and all my precious people, which is still the case"

"Months ago, after the Summan Dark Incident, you were badly injured and almost died under the watch of the Asian Branch" pursued the man. "However, when the Level Three attacked, you had a sudden revival and activated _Archangel_ for the first time"

"Yep" I popped the 'P'.

"How is that possible?"

And that was where it was getting complicated.

 _Cards on the table, right?_

"Back there, I discovered that I was the Host of an Angel named Gabriel. Our goals became one and our beings, even though different, merged and allowed me to become stronger" I resumed quite simply.

I swear Komui was having a heart attack as all the eyes widened slightly at my announcement.

 _Poor guy._

 _You tell me._

"Gabriel and I have a very specific mission: to protect" I pursued. "Not only the Exorcists, the Innocence or the civilians, but also the Heart. Technically speaking, I have the abilities needed to find it. However, I still need to train a lot. Also, the Noahs aren't the only threat to our organization. A higher being, or rather another Angel, has infiltrated our ranks and has been stealing Innocence fragments for the last decades. You might have heard of him as Apocryphos. The stronger he becomes, the more dangerous he is, for even if his goal is to kill the Earl, he doesn't care if he destroys the world along with him"

The man's eye was twitching.

 _He's old. And he smells._

 _Hime… I think he's the Pope…_

 _He still smells._

"A-and you expect us to believe this!?" spluttered the big boss.

"I don't expect anything from you" I shrugged, making myself more comfortable. "My time in the Order has come to an end, and Apocryphos is coming, would it be for me or one of your Exorcists. He is more than probably already in the Headquarters, searching for his next victim"

"So you _are_ a traitor" sneered Leverrier.

"See it however you want, I don't care" I replied. "I'm leaving because I have no other choice in the matter, not because I want too. If I could, I'd stay here to protect my friends. However, in a way, you might be right on one point. If said friends weren't there, I wouldn't be either"

I could now feel the auras in the room, shifting from uncomfortable to downright angry, a few still confused.

"As I said sooner, I'm _protecting_ " I repeated more firmly. "Because it's my job, and because I want to. No one is going to stop me"

"You helped Kanda Yuu and Alma Karma escape" Leverrier insisted, hitting his fists on the table. "Before informing us that you are a vessel much like Allen Walker, then saying that you can actually find the Heart, an artifact both us and the Millennium Earl have been seeking for centuries, and you still think you can leave!?"

I leveled his glare with my own.

"First of all, I did protect Kanda and Alma" I retorted, colder. "From all of you. You might think you're the good guys, but the truth is that we can't fight monsters by becoming monsters. It doesn't work that way. Being humans is both our strength and our weakness, just like being Noahs are theirs. We have to work with it and do our best, nothing more, nothing less. Second, Allen's case is more peculiar, I admit, but he is no bad guy. He's fighting against the Fourteenth day and night, not only for him, but for us too. Give him some credit, damn it! And in third, I'm not a fucking Heart GPS. As I said before, I need more training before being able to locate it. And no, I don't think I will leave. I believe that I will go accomplish my mission or die in the next days, if not sooner"

An heavy silence followed my announcement.

"Who knew?" finally asked the first man.

"Bookman and his apprentice" I answered. "Seeing as they are a special case, they weren't obliged to inform you. And, before you ask, I never said a thing because I was afraid Apocryphos might hear of it and come before I was ready to face him"

Another silence, and I turned my eyes to Link, who seemed to be struggling with his own thoughts.

"Shoot, Inspector Link" I drawled. "Your tongue is burning"

"You stabbed Third Exorcist Tewaku" he finally said, clenching his jaw.

"Gabriel did, but yes" I nodded.

There were a few horrified gasps around, making me roll my eyes.

"Take a chill pill" I huffed. "I placed a fragment of my _Shield_ in her body and in Tokusa and Madarao's too. Right now, their Alma cells are little by little destroyed from the inside. It'll take a while, but it'll allow me to save them from the Earl's control when the time comes"

Needless to say, it didn't turn out as well as I hoped it would, but it didn't turned out as bad as I feared it would.

"Take her to a confined cell, she is clearly delirious"

 _Are they stupid or just blind?_

 _Both, I'd say. But hey, I never lied, did I?_

 _Except for the 'more training' part. Oh, and about who knew._

 _Well, I didn't want to expand the thing on the memories. Plus, I don't want to cause the others more trouble._

A CROW lifted me up, I blew a raspberry at Leverrier, cackling madly as he turned to a deep purple.

 _You're seriously not helping your case, though. They all think you're insane now._

 _I'll take whatever they give, that just means they won't dissect me or whatever._

 _True, true._

* * *

I was thrown in the cell not far from Allen's –I could feel the auras on a twenty meter range now- and seeing as we were the only ones present with Timcanpy, it was easy to converse.

"Were you charged as a traitor too?" he asked, somewhat bitterly.

"Nope"

I could feel his confusion without having to use my abilities.

"Then what-"

"They charged me as insane and instable"

There was a moment of silence, before he snorted.

"Go figures"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I huffed. "Anyway, I told them about Gabriel, Apocryphos, the Heart and all that crap, and they just went 'well, she's clearly delirious get her out of here' and here I am"

"For telling them like that… you're leaving soon, aren't you?" his good mood had suddenly evaporated.

I shifted in place.

"Yeah, I am. Michael is coming, if he isn't already here. I'm not strong enough to face him right now, though. Hell, I can't even walk!" I grunted, hitting my numbed legs in annoyance. "I'll have to go, probably tonight or something like that. Of course, I ain't leaving you here either, don't worry"

"What do you mean?" he asked, clearly not understanding the situation.

"Kiddo, you can't stay anymore" I frowned. "The Order is turning against you, despite our friend's efforts. You're also an easy prey for Michael and the Noahs. You're leaving with me, and then we'll see what happens"

His aura turned a little warmer at that, and I could tell he was smiling.

"Thank you, Ary"

"Any time, Kiddo"

"Stop calling me that"

"Dream on"

The door slammed open, letting enter CROWs, soon followed by the quick steps of Link, who passed by my cell without a second glance.

He entered Allen's without much ceremonies, earning a startled squeak from the boy.

I snickered.

"This is porridge. Head Chef Jeryy made is especially for you"

"Eh?"

"You're very cautious as not to take truth serum, so I asked him to make it so you'd know it's authentic. Central wasn't involved in it's cooking at all. So eat!"

"He's not lying!" I called over at the white-haired teen.

I could feel Link's annoyance climbing a notch at my voice.

I heard Allen lifting the lid over his porridge bowl.

"'Leverrier is shit'" he read.

"That he is!" I cheered.

"Thanks, Ary" he drawled. "Link, I'm surprised you allowed that"

The older man didn't answer, but I knew he was listening.

His annoyance grew even more.

"You're finally talking… to say that!?"

He wasn't angry per se, but he wasn't a happy camper either.

"You didn't tell" I remarked, drawing his attention. "Why?"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"Gabriel talked to you" I insisted. "You realized it wasn't me and he explained somewhat, but you merely asked about Tewaku"

Hesitation joined his annoyance. Then, he let out an heavy sigh.

"They were like family to me. As we often went begging at churches after loosing our parents, we started doing things as a group. Tewaku and Kiredori were still small, so we naturally decided to protect them. In order to live, we were taken in by the Church's dark side, and became their puppets. You saved them. I'm in debt to you, Aryane Darkelston"

I bit my lower lip at that.

"I wasn't in time to save Gushi and Kiredori" I admitted, more quietly. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more"

"No"

At his refusal, I blinked in surprise.

"I should be the one to atone to the Thirds. I'm the one… who gave the Dark Matter to the Inspector"

"I know" I nodded, smiling a little when a surprised gasp escaped him. "I felt it when Tewaku left. But you know, they didn't regret it. All of them… they were truly glad to have a chance, despite how it turned out"

"I feel dumb" remarked Allen. "Had I learned about the Thirds like this, I could've gotten along with them better. Willingly becoming half-Akumas was enough on it's own for me to feel some sort of hatred towards them. Learning about them like this might have changed some things… how do you do it, Ary?"

"Do what?" I frowned in confusion.

"Accepting others… so easily" he precised. "Accepting their flaws, their pasts, their choices, as if none of it ever mattered…"

"I don't know" I shrugged. "To be honest, I think I'm just too lazy to actually care about it. I don't accept everything, though, I just know when to give a second chance, and sometimes a third or a fourth one. It's just… me, being me"

He chuckled, and I could sense Link's amusement to my statement.

"I don't know anything for sure" I added. "I just take it in stride, hope for the best and sometimes forget to prepare for the worst. You know, I might not show it, but I'm downright terrified half of the time. Right now, the only thing keeping my legs from shaking is the fucking nerve damage. Not knowing… it's scary. But… sometimes… you've got to take the jump anyway"

I could tell my words had him thinking, if not the both of them.

* * *

The peace was soon forgotten, though, and the melody of the Fourteenth echoed in the back of my mind, and a new presence made itself known just in front of Allen's cell, making my blood freeze.

 _... He's here._

 _Trickster? I'm scared._

 _I know. But don't worry. You're not alone, okay? I'm with you, just like all of your friends. You're not facing him alone, and you never will._

 _Thank you._

It was him.

Michael joined the party, at last.

* * *

 **APOCRYPHOS IS HERE! TAN TAN TAN! Also, just for the sake of the story, there weren't any guards or CROWs in the dungeons to keep watch over Ary and Allen. They're stupid enough to believe they won't be able to escape, chained down as they are.**

 **Oh, and I honestly believe they would react that way to Ary's story too. I mean, for someone to hear all of that out of the blue, with no proof whatsoever to help out, it'd be hard to understand. And, since Link kept his mouth shut about Gabriel, the higher-ups couldn't know she was telling the truth.**

 **Question: Do you think Ary and Allen are leaving together? Yes? No? Why?**

 **Reviews!**


	42. Our Paths Diverge

**And finally, the last chapter of _Hallow_ is out! Thank you to Leahcar-chan, who kept reviewing and therefore kept me posting a chapter a day!**

 **Answer: Once more, you'll find out in this chapter. I can only say that... they're both leaving. *shed loads of tears***

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

He hadn't felt my presence yet, what with the magical papers of the CROWs keeping me trapped, but I knew it only was a question of time by now.

... Wait.

I couldn't get out!

 _Fuck! Michael's going to absorb Allen and I can't fucking free myself!_

 _Breath, try to take them off!_

 _I'm trying!_

Allen started screaming as I felt the Innocence agitate itself. Link tried to intervene, but started screaming too.

Struggling, I couldn't get the damn things off. I was going to be too late, damn it!

The white haired teen tried to kill him, and I gritted my teeth.

"Get away, Allen!" I then yelled. "It's him! Get your fucking ass out of here _now_!"

There was a moment of silence.

"It would seem you have heard of me, but I have yet to know who you are" remarked Apocryphos, his voice reverbating on the bare walls.

"The name's Aryane Darkelston, asshole" I spat, trying to get my legs to move. "Better remember it"

"I will take care of you next"

And with that, he returned his attention to Allen, who was too shocked to even move.

 _He hasn't heard of us yet, then. This will be a good element of surprise. He only thinks you're another prisoner who heard of him somehow._

 _He's truly full of himself, to act so carelessly. I still can't get free, tho- wait, they're getting off!_

A first one had just fallen. Frowning a little, I then realized it must have been Link who managed to deactivate them before blacking out.

 _It's acting too slowly, though. He's going to absorb him!_

I gritted my teeth, before grabbing the papers still glued to my back.

 _Hime?_

 _When you gotta go, you gotta go._

I ripped them apart. Instantly, my hands burned at the jolts of electricity, my whole body shaking in pain, the skin peeling off along with the damn things. I didn't make a sound, knowing it would only betray my position. Then, I felt them.

The Noahs were here.

 _Is it weird that I feel glad or what?_

 _Better them than Michael, I'd say. Better move faster, though._

 _Yeah. Hey, Trickster? I don't think I'm leaving with him anymore._

 _Me neither. Give him a good farewell show, ne?_

 _You know me too well._

There was an explosion as Allen's screams died down.

"It was worth it… to send you back to the Order… seven thousand years…"

 _Hey, isn't that Mikk?_

"Seven thousand years… and we finally found you!"

 _Yep, that's him. Sounds crazier than before, though. Is he talking about Michael? Has he really been around for seven thousand years?_

 _I told you before that we existed before recorded history._

 _Still weird._

"Allen!"

 _Road's here too. Allen isn't saying a thing, he must have panicked a little._

 _That's an understatement. Now move, it's time for your grand entrance._

Taking a sharp breath, I forced my legs to answer my demand. It was weird, half-painful and half-numbed, so it didn't work too well, but I could walk, or at least for now.

 _Don't push, the nerves are more damaged than ever and some connected back to the wrong places._

 _Got it._

The papers locking my door had deactivated too, so I walked out without any trouble, before making my way at Allen's cell.

"The Noahs, uh?"

 _Oh, the big bro's up._

"Seriously… it's not like this is your friend's house" he remarked, his voice cracking a little. "I don't want you coming in so casually"

 _He kind of got a point._

 _As you said, better them than him. His voice is giving me shivers, and not the good kind._

"Apocryphos" Allen grunted.

"Oh, you've heard of him, Boy?" asked Tyki." Figures, with Milady around"

 _He really ought to stop calling me that._

 _I find it funny._

 _Shut up._

"We've finally found him" remarked Road, more serious. "After seven thousand years, we had given up. Then, little Gabby came back, and all was well. But having two leads to the Heart now…"

"Ga… bby?" repeated Michael. "He finally… came to play? That's nice… but you are wrong… to the Noahs, I'm the equivalent… of the Grim Reaper!"

At that, I finally reached the opened door. For a second, I stilled.

The Thirds are here.

Shield _won't work so soon._

 _I know._

Steeling my resolve, I slammed the door open.

"The hell do you think you're doing, partying without even inviting me!?" I exclaimed, waltzing inside as if I owned the place.

 _If I die tonight, at least let's go with some fireworks._

 _The stage is yours, Hime._

The one I recognized as Apocryphos turned to me, eyes bloodshot.

"And who… are you…?" rasped the weird being.

At that, I grinned, before activating my Innocence. Instantly, he took a step back.

" _I_ t's _bee_ n a _wh_ ile, Mi _ckey_ " I made the peace sign, Gabriel's voice joining mine.

"Finally showed up, Milady?" smiled pleasantly Tyki, standing just next too me. "I was afraid we'd have to wait"

But I could sense his unease growing by each passing second.

"Get out of here" I ordered, more at Allen than the other two. "This is my fight"

"You're my brother's vessel then…" he slurred. "I should have known… where is he? I want… I want to talk to him…"

 _Hime?_

 _Go ahead._

I closed my eyes.

* * *

 _"_ _You're arrogant, Mickey"_ the girl shook her head, eyes glowing in the darkness of the cell. " _This will be your downfall"_

"Gabriel… so you truly are here…"

" _Oi, morons!"_ he snapped towards the onlookers. _"Hime said to get out, so get your fucking arses out of here"_

"But-"

" _Our paths diverge, Allen Walker"_ he cut, more serious. _"But do not forget that you aren't walking alone. Keep going, and do not regret. Timcanpy? It is time"_

"T-Timcanpy?" repeated the boy, confused.

The Golem growled, and it's bindings snaps, the papers having deactivated along with Aryane's. With one feathered blade, Gabriel cut Allen's chains as the gigantic gold ball destroyed the wall to allow him –them- to escape.

The teen still hesitated, before gritting his teeth and jumping out. Road shot them a wondering look before following, and Tyki smirked.

"Any words of wisdom for me?" he taunted.

 _"_ _Fuck off, Mikk"_

That earned a sharp laugh, before the Noah fled too. After that, knowing the rest was up to Allen, Gabriel turned to face his brother, who hadn't made a move since he walked in.

"This is only slowing down… the inevitable…" remarked him who was once an Angel. "Would it be today… or tomorrow… Allen Walker and I will become one!"

Suddenly, binding papers strapped around him, and both beings turned theirs heads at Howard Link, who was struggling to stay conscious with Innocence blinding him.

"I won't let you!" he grunted. "Aryane… or Gabriel… get out of here!"

At that, the vessel shook his head, smiling sadly.

 _"_ _You have changed, Howard Link, but today is not the day you play the hero. Settle down, for you have a greater purpose than to die tonight"_

"What!? I-"

Before he could finish, Gabriel hit the back of his head with a rock, effectively knocking him out.

Apocryphos snorted, breaking the bindings without much effort.

"You truly are the same… always thinking about others before yourself…" he smiled, showing his shark-like teeth. "You were always so strong… so good… And we could do so much together… brother…"

 _"_ _You have strove from your path, Mickey"_ he shook his head, honestly sorry. _"Taking the matters in your own hands… you broke the rules, and there is no going back"_

"So you are betraying… your own brother?" he sneered, mocking and angry at the same time. "You are ready… to destroy me? To kill me… with the hands of this untainted vessel?"

For only answer, the Host took the feather pendant and turned it to _Silversword._

 _"_ _My brother died seven thousand years ago"_

But Apocryphos only let out a sharp laugh, getting back his usual appearance.

"You are still weak with this new vessel, Gabriel" he remarked. "You're not fully in control, and lack the necessary abilities to even be a challenge"

He disappeared, and the Angel was suddenly hitting the wall.

"For today, I will show mercy to your foolishness, brother" he sneered, looming over him. "But the next time we face each other, I won't hesitate to spill the blood of your dear Host"

And with that, he disappeared.

* * *

"Fuck, that hurt…" I grunted, rubbing my forehead.

 _Trickster, are you alright?_

 _He's grown so strong… Ary… I'm afraid I burdened you with a mission too great… I'm sorry…_

 _The hell are blabbering about? Yeah, we got our asses handed with one fucking move. Yeah, it hurts the pride. Yeah, we were clearly at a disadvantage. Yeah, we-_

 _Not helping._

 _Sorry. Anyway, all that to say that yes, we couldn't fight him now. However, we'll grow even stronger and one day, we'll defeat him. It's just a question of time._

 _Right…_

New presences made themselves known, running down the stairs leading to the dungeons, and I scrunched my nose when I realized it was Leverrier.

"Well, that's our cue to leave" I sighed.

Glancing at Link's body, I let out a breath of relief. At least he was still alive.

 _Let's go, Hime._

 _The Thirds are here, though, attacking Headquarters, and-_

 _They'll be fine. You can't always be around, Ary. It is time to walk your own path._

I sighed heavily, before spreading my wings and heading for the gigantic hole in the wall made by Timcanpy.

"Guess it is"

"Don't move!"

I titled my head at Leverrier as he entered the cell along with guards and CROWs.

I smiled at him, somewhat sadly.

"Take care of them"

And I jumped.

* * *

The rest happened kind of quickly.

I flew away from Headquarters, putting the more distance I could between me and them, hoping they would understand and not go after me. The Thirds were still ravaging the place, but I couldn't turn back now. The others would be fine.

Allen had parted ways from Tyki and Road, along with Timcanpy, which lead me to truly question the Noah's sanity. But whatever. In the end, he used the Ark, and even got to say goodbye to Lenalee, who's despair echoed in my bones like a sick rhythm.

I didn't look behind as explosions were heard, knowing it would only make me feel worse. No matter how many time I said myself to be ready, I had just discovered how outmatched I was against Michael, and left behind what I considered my home and those I considered my family. However, I knew that in the end, it'd be worth it, so I didn't press the matter any farther.

 _Hime, you're exhausted. You haven't eaten since you woke up._

 _Don't remind me._

 _You have to land before you crash because you were too stupid to stop._

 _Tche. Fine._

I dropped in the trees below, and deactivated as soon as my feet touched the ground, my stomach grumbling loudly.

I cringed.

"I'm so fucking hungry now… _Putain, qu'est-ce que je ne donnerais pas pour un repas bien chaud de Jeryy…"_

 _Hang in there, Ary. There's a village at two hours or so._

 _So comforting._

But I walked.

Using _Archangel_ would only lead me to a worst shape, and with Apocryphos now aware of our existence, the Noahs still hanging around and the Order on my trail, I needed all the strength I could get.

So I walked.

* * *

My legs gave in after half an hour. They felt so heavy I thought they were made of roc, and I couldn't take a step farther in my state.

 _I've said it once, twice and I'll say it trice: nerve damage is a pain in the ass._

 _No kidding. And I'm so hungry…_

 _I can't heal them properly like this. Do you have any fricking idea how many nerves you have in your legs!?_

 _Nope, and don't want to either. Can't you let them heal by themselves?_

 _Hime, nerve damage doesn't heal so easily. Without me, you wouldn't even be able to feel them anymore._

 _Wonder if that'd be a bad thing._

I placed my back against a tree, the bark feeling cold on my skin, and let out a shaky breath. In the end, maybe leaving right there and then was a bad idea.

 _I'm starting to agree too. Guess waiting a day more wouldn't have killed us._

 _It could have, though. Who knows? With everything that happened, they would've probably try to execute me._

 _Point taken._

"Well, well, look who finally stopped running"

"Fuck my life" I groaned, passing an hand over my tired face.

Tyki walked out of the shadows with a smirk, and I could now sense Road sitting on a branch above me.

 _Why didn't we sense them sooner!?_

 _Even if we did, you wouldn't have been able to flee._

 _True. So what, I let myself get kidnapped?_

 _You can't exactly do anything else. Don't worry, they'll have to go through a lot before getting their hands on my memories. And who knows? Maybe you'll have news from Bookman and Lavi._

 _Too tired to fight back anyway._

"You seem in a bad shape, Milady" remarked Tyki, crouching in front of me.

"I'm hungry" I replied. "And tired. So, so damn tired… are you kidnapping me? 'Cause if you do, then I demand a nap before we get down to business"

"You seem rather… okay, with this" he blinked, taken aback by my sudden willingness.

"I can't fight, can't activate my Innocence and can't even walk" I pointed out, hitting my damn responding legs. "I don't exactly have a choice in the matter. And honestly? Better you than Apocryphos"

"Agreed" Road shuddered a little, landing next to me. "He gives me the creeps"

I snorted at that. No matter what we could say, Noahs were much more humans than we gave them credit for. Of course, forgetting their powers, kind-of immortality, their thirst for blood, sadistic tendencies and trying to plunge the world into chaos.

 _Hime, you're getting delirious._

 _Shut up._

"So, do I get a piggyback?" I asked, raising my arms to Tyki. "But no pervert move, or I'll rip off your balls"

"Should say that to Sheril" he huffed, pulling me onto his back nowadays.

I felt my eyelids drop as I was lifted from the ground, but fought against the sleep trying to overcome me.

It wasn't working.

"Rest, Onee-san" smiled Road. "While you still can"

"Yeah" I yawned, settling more comfortably on Mikk's back. "Rest… sounds good…"

Her childish giggle was the last thing I heard before slipping in darkness's embrace.

* * *

 **Okay, some might think that was a bad move on Ary's part, but seriously: she can't walk, fight or fly away. Trying any of these would have worsened her state, drive her past exhaustion or injured her beyond repair, seeing as Gabriel needs energy to heal her.**

 **So yeah. Allen disapeared God-knows-where, and Aryane got "kidnapped" by the Noahs.**

 **This marks the end of _Hallow_ and now, the storyline will be my own. I won't follow the manga, seeing as it hasn't been updated for so long. but no worries, I've almost finished writting anyway -three chapters left to write- so you'll get many updates!**

 **Question: The Noahs are obviously going to try to get their hand on Gabriel's memories. How do you think they'll do it?**

 **Reviews!**


	43. Silent Scream

**Yeah, let's enter the original storyline, graciously offered by little 'ol me! However, I feel like I have to warn you: this chapter is all about torture. Like, seriously. It's just that. Saved for the beginning and the end, what's in between is poor Ary getting the time of her life in the Noah dungeons.**

 **Rated M for safety mesures.**

 **Answer: Well, go find out already!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When I woke up, in was in a cell much like the one I had evaded from sooner, but darker. My senses slowly coming back to me, I then realized that I was shackled to the cold wall against my back, that there wasn't even a window and that the door was heavily locked.

 _Finally awake, Hime?_

 _You sound tired. How long was I out for?_

 _A day and a half._

 _Go to rest, then. Something tells me you won't have many more occasions to do so._

 _Right._

He yawned, then quieted down, and his presence disappeared somewhat as he went to sleep.

After a few more minutes, sitting uncomfortably, alone in the dark, cold and silent room, I sighed.

That was going to be long.

* * *

Time passed, I couldn't say how much. Gabriel still hadn't woken up, and there was no sign of even an Akuma around here. Bindings on the walls and my shackles stopped me from sensing any aura outside, which was making me quite uneasy, and I was starting to seriously regret letting myself get kidnapped like that.

Well, not that fighting would have made a great difference.

I sighed again, trying to move my numbed arms.

I was cold.

And sore.

And hungry too.

I sighed for the umpteenth time and-

"About time!"

The door slammed open, letting enter none other than two unfamiliar Noahs. I frowned my eyes at them. Their faces weren't quite-

"Holy shit, did puberty finally kicked in or what!?" I whistled. "And you're taller too. The hell happened in the past months?"

"We might have changed, but you haven't" replied the one I now recognized as Devit. "Still a full-mouthed Exorcist, eh?"

They cackled, waving their guns around.

"You know what? I take it back. You two haven't change at all. You're still real brats" I grunted.

Instantly, their laughs died down and I found two metallic barrels under my chin.

"You're in no position to play it cool, Aryane Darkelston" remarked Jasdero coldly. "Don't think we won't hurt you"

I rolled my eyes, which only seemed to anger them even more, and Devit suddenly stepped on my leg with great strength, effectively snapping it in two.

"Fuck!"

My body shook under the sudden pain, but I didn't let another noise escape.

 _Ary! Hang on, I'm taking care of it!_

A few seconds later, my femur was like new, and my breathing eased.

 _Well, at least we know your legs are fine now._

"Next time, it'll be both" they warned in one voice. "Now get up"

My chains unlocked, and I slowly got back to my feet, shaking my legs to make the blood flow faster and get the numbing sensation away. Then, we were outside, one of the twins on each of my side, their guns directed in my direction in case I'd try something. I wasn't so stupid, though. I didn't even know the place, how the hell would I be able to escape? I'd wait for my chance.

"So… where are we going?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"To see Master Earl" they answered, somewhat bored by now.

Understanding that talking more would only bring me unnecessary pain, I kept my mouth shut for once –once again, I wasn't a fucking masochist- and walked.

* * *

After a few more minutes of wandering in what seemed to be a mansion or something of the sort, we reached two golden doors in a heart shape. They pushed me in, which earned them a glare, and I then realized how deep in shit I was in.

 _This… is bad._

 _No fucking shit, Sherlock._

All the Noahs –except for the one Kanda killed, of course- were here, sitting at what seemed to be a dinner table. At the very end sat a man I never saw before.

 _That's the Earl, Hime. In his human appearance._

 _He looks like a granddad or something._

"Ah, Aryane Darkelston!" he greeted in theatrical gestures. "The one we were waiting for! Why don't you come sit by me?"

 _Okay, a_ very _creepy granddad._

But I executed myself nonetheless, keeping my cool despite being in the presence of those who would more likely than not be my murderers.

 _Windows, light glass. Easy to break, just behind you._

 _Got it._

"That would be a very unwise decision"

I huffed, finally taking a seat just to the right of the Earl, and just in front of Wisely, who had apparently read my mind.

"So what, do you mind-rape everyone that comes for dinner?" I grunted.

"I don't-"

"Now, now, children, don't be like that at the table" scolded the Earl. "Why don't we just enjoy the meal for now?"

At his words, a dozen of servants –that I knew were Akumas- placed different dishes on the large table. I looked around. To my own right was sitting Road, for which I was glad despite all. She was the less creepy, in a weird sort of way.

 _Probably the most ready to torture you, too._

 _Gee, thanks._

In front of her was Tyki, who seemed more annoyed by all this set up than anything else.

 _Forgetting our situations, I think we could have been good friends._

 _He's the more human of them all._

 _Still a bastard, though._

 _Can't argue with that._

Next to him was Sheril. Contrary to his look-alike, he was apparently very amused and kept eying me with some sort of sick glee.

 _Please, don't leave me alone with him._

 _I don't think even them would want to be alone with him._

In front of him was the sunglasses dude, and another with blue hair was sitting to his own right. Then, in front of that one was another who… didn't look like anything, really. He kind of reminded me of a penguin.

 _I want to hug him._

 _Don't you dare._

Then, there were the twins Jasdevi, and next to Devit was a guy with an absolute poker face. Finally, Lulubell was at my complete opposite, which I actually appreciated, seeing as I felt my nose prickling just by being in the same room as her.

The last seat, to the opposite of the Earl, was empty.

 _Probably for Nea._

 _Don't think he'll ever sit there, though._

 _Don't think so either._

I noted for a second that I was more than probably sitting in Skin Bolic's place, but shrugged it off as they all started eating, all sending me glances or downright staring at me. Despite all, I didn't make a move and simply checked my nails, apparently unconcerned by the whole situation.

Which was a complete lie, of course.

"Are you not going to eat, Aryane dear?" asked pleasantly Sheril.

"Sorry, not exactly interested in making friends with my future torturers" I replied in a bored tone.

He chuckled, apparently amused by my answer, and some crazy showed behind his monocle as he swallowed some meat.

"This might be your last meal, you know?"

He was enjoying twisting the knife, didn't he?

"Oh, don't take me wrong" I shook my head. "I don't intend to die here"

"Ooh?" he raised an eyebrow, apparently interested.

"Yep" I popped the 'P'. "I'm getting out of here, just you wait. And when I do? It'll be with a BANG"

We hold each other's gaze for a moment, my pride being the only thing keeping me from backing down as fear twisted my guts.

Damn, was I glad to not be able to feel their auras right now?

 _No problem, Hime._

Wisely snorted, drawing attention to him.

"You're all but a princess, Exorcist" he sneered.

"Never said I was" I shrugged. "And mind your own fucking business, would you? One person in my head is more than enough already"

"Watch your tongue, or I'll rip it out" he warned, his eyes turning colder.

"Just you fucking try, mind-rapist" I retorted icily. "If I want to talk, I'm going to talk, and there ain't someone out here who'll be able to shut me up, got it?"

"Sheril is right, you should eat while you still can" remarked the Earl, unfazed by our conversation.

"So that you can drug me? No thanks" I scoffed. "And you know what? I've had enough of this masquerade, Earl. Drop the act and say what you want. This bullshit has been going on long enough"

He sighed, and placed down his utensils, before looking at me straight in the eyes. His own had turned darker, sharper, more dangerous.

Pleasantries were over.

"Very well. I'll ask you so nicely once, and only once" he said, his voice cutting like a knife. "Give us what we want, and you'll leave this place unharmed"

"Fuck no"

We stared at each other for what seemed like hours, and I was really tempted to do the blinking contest, but he then went back to his meal.

"Do as you wish. Sheril?"

"Hai, hai, master Earl" his grin turned to a sicker one. "Come on, Aryane dear. We have much to share"

There was a pull on my muscles as his puppet strings forced me to get up and follow him. Unable to stop myself, I raised some of my _Shield_ and made them snap, before turning to the rest of the table.

"Torture me all you want, Earl" I said, voice as strong as I could manage. "But you ain't getting your hands on the Heart as long as I'm alive"

There was another pull, but I snapped them again, and made my way to Sheril, chin held high.

"I can walk on my own, jerk" I grunted, passing ahead of me.

He just chuckled.

* * *

We got back to my cell and I let myself slid on the wall as he closed the door behind.

"I swear, if you're going to rape me I-"

"Please" he frowned, seeming genuinely offended. "I have more dignity than to force a woman in my bed"

"Right" I drawled. "But you ain't above torturing them"

"That I aren't" his grin was back. "So, what do we start with? The bones? The muscles? Or, I could pierce you kidney and let you bleed until near death!"

"You make me sick" I scrunched my nose. "But I'm not talking"

"Maybe not you" he nodded.

Then, he loomed closer to my face, and the shackles were suddenly back on my wrists.

"But what about our dear Gabriel? Can he watch his precious Host be destroyed each passing second? Can he stand to hear you scream, cry and beg for death to come get you?" he asked giddily.

Instantly, I spat in his face. Scrunching his nose, he straightened and wiped the saliva with an handkerchief.

"I don't cry for the likes of your tear-complexed-family, and I certainly ain't begging" I sneered. "Never did, never will. I knew the risks when I accepted my mission, and so did Gabriel. You're getting nothing out of me, you hear? _Nothing"_

For only answer, he grabbed my arm and broke it in two.

I bite back a scream, certainly not about to give in so easily. However, his twisted smile only widened.

"You've got spirit, girl" he remarked casually, grabbing the other arm. "I'll be glad to destroy it"

He snapped the other arm, and I took a few very deep breaths as Gabriel instantly worked on repairing the bones.

"D- don't… feel o-obligated…" I wheezed out.

"Oh, don't worry" he took out a sharp dagger from his sleeve. "I'm burning with _desire_ "

The blade blade plunged.

The flesh ripped open.

The blood spilled.

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

After two hours, Sheril apparently grew bored, and left.

 _Are you alright, Hime?_

 _Are you seriously asking!?_

 _Sorry. I'm taking care of it._

 _You do that._

The pain, now ubiquitous in my whole body, made me feel kind of dizzy. Broken bones, snapped muscles, neatly cut squares of skin taken off forcefully… hell, he even ripped out some of my nails.

I never screamed once, though, focusing on Gabriel's soothing words rather than the torture inflicted upon me.

 _Why didn't you tell them that you don't know?_

 _They know that already. They're more than probably weakening us to ease Wisely's invasion._

At that, the door opened, letting enter the white-haired Noah.

 _Told ya._

He sat in front of me, eying with gruesome curiosity as my wounds closed themselves slowly but surely.

"Sheril is quite annoyed, you know" he said casually. "Said you wouldn't even scream once. He's taking his anger out on our other prisoners now. A Bookman and his apprentice, I think. You would know them, wouldn't you?"

"Probably" I shrugged, not showing anything.

 _They're here! Trickster, they're still alive!_

 _Didn't you hear? He just said Sheril is now torturing them instead of you._

 _Oops. Well, if I can take it, I know Lavi and Bookman can._

 _You still feel bad about it._

 _Yes, but I can't do anything about it now, can I?_

 _True._

"You're annoying me too" Wisely huffed, shifting in place. "Your mind is like a damn keep-safe in a nuclear shelter underwater. It'll be a pain to break in…"

"You say that to the one who's about to have you trying" I replied. "And do you see me complaining? No. So just get on with it, mind-rapist"

"So eager" he drawled.

The eye on his forehead activated, and thousand of needles pierced my brain.

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

"Urgh, my head…"

He gripped his head with a wince as I slowly came back to reality.

How much time had passed? Minutes? Hours?

"And I couldn't even make a dent in it…" he grunted, rubbing his temples. "It's going to take a while… damn, I can't imagine all the headaches…"

"You think I feel any better?" I croaked out. "Fuck, that hurt like a bitch…"

A few seconds later, silence occupied by his moans of pain, Tyki waltzed in with a bored and amused air at the same time.

"So? Any advance?" he asked.

"None" grunted the white-haired teen. "Take me back, would you? This headache is killing me…"

"Not enough, obviously" I gritted my teeth at the lingering pain in my brain.

Tyki chuckled, before picking up the boy in a bridal style and walking out, waving mockingly at me.

 _Sleep, Trickster. Something tells me I'll need you a lot tomorrow._

 _Stay strong._

* * *

"So? How is it, Wisely-kun?" asked the Millennium Earl.

The young Noah was now lying on his bed, some ice refreshing his forehead.

"Her mind is the most heavily protected I've ever come across" he admitted, apparently ticked off by that fact. "Sheril's ministrations didn't make her loose her spirit, which only strengthens the damn walls. It'll take a while to get in"

"What if we put her in a near death situation?" proposed Sheril, cleaning his monocle.

"Too risky" his adoptive son frowned. "And it would only place the memories even farther in her unconscious. We'll have to be patient with that one"

At his words, though, they all cringed, not exactly the patient type.

The Earl merely chuckled.

"Then we'll wait" he said with confidence. "Don't feed her, it'll take a greater toll. Give some water once every four days, enough to keep her alive. You'll all switch turns to make her cave in, and Wisely-kun will work on her stupid protections after each session. Soon, little Gabby won't be able to protect her anymore. It's just a question of time. We've waited thousand of years. I'm sure we can take a few more days"

Little did they know that Aryane Darkelston wasn't one to be so easily broken.

After all, she had a mission.

* * *

"And who're you?" I blinked lazily at the sunglasses guy.

"Maashiima" he answered. "By the way, stabbing your comrades wasn't exactly effective"

"You tell me" I drawled. "So, you're my torturer for today? How about we get this show on the road, not that I have better things to do but hell"

He cracked his bones and put on brass knuckles. Then, his right fist landed on my face, effectively cracking my jaw. His left fist connected with my guts, ripping apart my clothes and skin and I felt like vomiting my very stomach as I spat my own blood.

He hit again, and again, and again, the metal shredding my flesh as his apparent super-strength made the whole even more painful.

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

"You've got a great pokerface and all, but this is starting to freak me out" I remarked casually.

The Noah kept his blank mask, before unsheathing a very big sword from his back. Then, crouching next to me, he grabbed my hand before bringing down the blade, cutting off a finger.

Red tainted the already dirty floor, and another soon joined the fallen limb.

Then another.

Then a third one.

Gabriel numbed the pain somewhat, but couldn't do much and the Noah placed them back. Then, he waited for them to reattach fully, before cutting them off again.

And again.

And again.

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

Lulubell stepped inside, and I instantly felt my allergies kicking in.

"Fucking aller- 'tchi!- damn it –'tchi!-!"

As I kept on sneezing, she unlocked my chains and placed a cup of water in my hands. I drank it, knowing that I had to stay alive somewhat. Then, she chained me again, but my face was now against the wall. I gritted my teeth, understanding what was coming next.

The whip cracked. Once. Twice.

Blood oozed from the fresh wounds scattering on my bare back.

The whip snapped and hit and the glass shards attached to the extremities bite my skin like shark-teeth.

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

"This is seriously disgusting, dude" I eyed him in disdain.

His tongue was covered in eyeballs.

 _HIS TONGUE IS COVERED WITH EYEBALLS!_

 _I just said it, moron! And it's giving me the creeps!_

 _No shit!_

He smiled, looming over me. Had it been another situation, I would have thought he was a nice guy with blue hair.

However, it wasn't another situation.

 _Don't forget the eyeballs._

Talking about eyeballs… fuck, one just fell off!

He picked it up and, without anymore ceremonies, forced me to eat it.

 _I'm going to be sick…_

But I kept my mouth shut.

Kind of.

* * *

"I can't believe I still can't get in" Wisely huffed, backing away. "I seriously want to bash your head against the wall right now"

"Your nacho dude didn't deprive himself" I snorted, feeling the needles disappearing.

He blinked at me, somewhat confused, before shrugging and walking out.

 _Trickster, you're slower to heal._

 _I'm sorry. I'm running low on juice, and I keep most of my strength focused on guarding your mind._

 _Don't worry, I can handle it. You know what? Just heal me once they're done. It'll save a lot of energy, and they won't be able to torture me as much seeing as they can't kill me._

 _Your Innocence will act by itself, though. It'll only hurt more when I take over._

 _As I said, I can handle it._

* * *

"Hey, Onee-san!" greeted Road, walking in. "It's been a while! Oh, you don't seem too well, though. Little Gabby having a hard time healing you?"

"Just get on with it" I coughed.

She grinned, raising her hand, and candles appeared in the air.

The next second, they were embedding themselves my my open palms, shoulders, forearms, thighs, legs and abdomen.

I coughed again, red clots stuck in my teeth.

"Come on, Onee-san!" she cheered. "Scream for me!"

She pulled out her candles, before sending them in again.

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

"Red Bomb! _"_

The twins cackled as the fire licked my legs and turned my skin black. Then, as I panted heavily to keep my screams inside, they waved their guns once again.

"Blue Bomb!"

Ice covered the burned flesh, and I black spots danced in vision as my eyes watered. However, I quickly blinked back the tears.

 _I'm with you, Hime._

 _I know._

"Red Bomb!"

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

"Ooh… you're the penguin…" I raised a hazy gaze at the weird Noah. "Can I hug you?"

He seemed to stare at me for a moment, before walking out.

A few minutes later, he was back with Wisely.

"Maitora says you're turning insane" he announced. "Finally giving up?"

"Fuck off… mind-rapist…" I spat. "Damn, why are you all fuzzy like that?"

"It would seems our ministrations are starting to take effect"

Without another warning, he tried to get in once again. I clenched my teeth as the needles turned to full spears, with some salt sprinkled on the mind-wounds along with some lemon juice.

 _Get the fuck out!_

Apparently in a bad mood, Gabriel angrily pushed the invader out. Unable to stop myself, I started cackling as the white-haired teen grabbed his head in pain.

"Damn Angel… I can't wait to kill him…" he cringed.

My laughter hit a high-pitched note. He shot me a disgusted look, before the both of them left my cell.

"You feed the madness and it feeds of you!" I yelled after them, somewhat hysterical. "You made me this way, now bear the fucking consequences, you assholes!"

I kept on cackling madly.

* * *

 _Trickster… I'm so fucking hungry right now… should have eaten back then…_

 _I know._

 _I miss everyone… and home…_

 _I know._

 _You think… they're alright…? You think… Lavi and Bookman are okay…?_

 _I'm sure they are. Now sleep, Hime. You need it._

 _Right… I need to rest… ne, Trickster?_

 _What is it?_

 _Don't… feel bad… I'm totally… fine…_

* * *

It had been days… weeks… months… years?

I couldn't tell.

I still can't.

I was weakened by the lack of food, the lack of rest and the 24/7 torture sessions. The Noahs switched turns, and they even sent the Thirds a few times to electrocute me with their magical papers. I never heard of anything else regarding Lavi and Bookman, though. Gab kept healing me, fighting to keep up my walls at the same time, but he was severely weakened too.

I knew he wouldn't be able to go on like that much longer.

I knew I wouldn't either.

 _Don't say that, Hime._

 _Trickster, this is pure madness. I'm clearly turning insane._

 _You already were._

 _Touché. However, I don't see how we can get out. Any idea?_

 _…_ _none._

 _There you go. Now, I want you to listen carefully: if you even have the slightest of doubt Wisely will be able to break in, I-_

 _Nope. No. No way. Nada. Non. Niet. Shut the fuck up and go to sleep._

 _Gabriel, this is serious! If he ever manages to break in, I want you to shut down everything, you got it?_

 _You're asking me to kill you!_

 _I'm asking you to keep your fucking promise and protect the Heart!_

I clenched my fists, feeling so tired of it all suddenly.

 _I want to fight, Trickster. I truly do, and I'll keep on fighting as long as I can. However, if the mind-rapist finally manage, I want you to promise to do it._

 _I-_

 _Promise!_

I stayed silent, waiting for his answer with anxiety.

He finally sighed.

 _Fine. I… I promise._

 _Thank you._

I closed my eyes.

 _Ne, Trickster?_

 _What._

 _I've got an idea._

 _…_ _what is it?_

 _If we can't get out… then I'll get the others, at least…_

 _…_ _it should work._

 _I know. You're up to it?_

 _It'll weaken us considerably._

 _It'll be worth it._

 _Then let's do this._

* * *

Tewaku stepped inside. Apparently, it was her turn today. I knew she wasn't in control of her actions, or even conscious of what she was doing, but it still hurted to see her glee as I bite back my screams.

The door closed, and she faced me.

 _I'm ready._

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes.

" _Shield!"_

There was a moment of lingering silence as she gaped like a fish out of water, apparently unable to breath. She collapsed to her knees, palm against the ground as she vomited some sort of black substance, that I easily recognized as Akuma blood. Coughing and spitting it all out, veins were bulging under her skin as her eyes widened in silent pain. Then, her whole body shook violently, before it stopped moving.

After a few more seconds, she sat back with shaky arms and a very confused expression. Frowning, everything then seemed to come back to her in full and she snapped her eyes at me.

"A… ry…"

She placed an hand over her mouth, horrified.

"Hey, Doll" I smiled, tired. "Feeling better?"

"Ary… oh my God, I can't- I- Ary!" tears started streaming down her face.

She staggered towards me, before latching her arms around my neck and hiding her face in my chest, sobbing.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Oh God, I'm sorry…"

"I know" I leaned my head over hers. "I know. I'm sorry too. I couldn't free you sooner"

"But you- I tortured you… I couldn't-"

"Shush" I cut softly. "Now's truly not the time, Doll. Madarao and Tokusa must have been freed by now. I have… I have an important request to make"

"Wait a second!" she shook her head. "I'm going- I'm going to free you and- and we can-"

"No"

Eyes glinting with salty water, she stared at me, more confused than ever.

"W-what? What do you mean?"

"Lavi and Bookman are prisoners here too" I informed, my throat dry. "I want you to find your brother and Tokusa and free the Bookmen, before leaving this place"

"But you-"

"The Noahs haven't figured you out yet" I replied. "If I leave with you, they'll know instantly. You have to flee while using the element of surprise _right now_. Promise me, Tewaku. Promise me you'll leave as soon as you get the others"

She clenched her fists, about to protest again, and I shook my chains a little.

"Think, Tewaku! The risks are too high, this is your only chance!" I insisted. "Please, promise me! For all you've put me through, that's the least you can do!"

Her breath hitched, before she bit her lower lip and nodded.

"I… I promise… I promise" she gritted her teeth.

"Thank you"

With that, she got back to her feet and shot me one last unsure glance, before running outside.

 _That was a low blow, Hime._

 _It was the only way to get her to leave._

 _It could have been your only chance to get out of here._

 _I couldn't risk them falling back into their hands._

 _It wasn't exactly a good decision, you know._

 _I regret nothing, and that's all that matters._

 _Atta girl._

* * *

The next few minutes had been passed in a heavy silence, followed by a few explosions, screams echoing in the distance, and finally another silence.

Two minutes later, the Millennium Earl walked in with his usual appearance, Sheril and Tyki behind him.

"You freed the Thirds" he stated.

"I did" I grinned proudly. "Didn't see that coming, uh?"

"You've only got weaker now"

"I don't care. They're safe now" I replied.

"You've only took three of my tools, I can make many more" he sneered. "It was useless"

I just shrugged, which only seemed to anger him more, and he left along with Sheril. Tyki lingered a little behind, the only one who hadn't taken part in the torture sessions now that I thought about it.

"Are they okay?" I asked, more quietly.

He eyed me for a moment.

"The three Thirds, the Bookman and his apprentice all managed to flee using one of our gates" he then answered. "They're alive"

I felt warmth settle in my chest at his answer, and he headed for the door.

"Thank you"

He stilled, sparing me a weird glance.

"Don't thank me yet"

* * *

Turns out, if he hadn't tortured me before, it was because he had been working on new Teez just for me.

Bastard.

They had eaten me from the inside, careful as to not let me die, and he had smiled all along.

I kept my mouth shut.

* * *

Days later –I didn't know how many more-, Wisely was back in my cell.

Frowning, he settled down in front of me, and fully assaulted my barriers. Too used to his attacks by now, I merely bit my tongue while he hit the mental walls again and again, trying to pierce through them.

There was something else today, though.

 _Hime, I'm sorry._

The walls cracked, and Wisely let out a gasp of surprise at his accomplishment, before hitting even harder.

 _It's okay. Do it now._

 _…_

 _Trickster. You promise._

 _…_ _I know. I'm sorry, for everything._

 _I'm not._

And, for the first time in a long while, I allowed a smile to grace my lips as my walls fully crumbled and Wisely let out a victorious cheer.

I closed my eyes, at peace, knowing they would never get what they want.

Then, the cell's door exploded.

The Noah was sent crashing farther away as my consciousness slip away. I barely felt my shackles being unlocked, or the arms cradling me against something warm, and I lifted hazy eyes to meet a green one.

"Everything's fine now. I got you"

I raised an hand to his cheek, not believing it, and slowly traced a finger on his skin.

Then, I smiled.

"Damn, Bookboy… I almost… waited…"

"Hang in there, Tenshi. It's over now" his grip tightened on me. "Just hang in there"

* * *

 **LAVI SAVES THE DAY! So, to put things simple: they tortured Aryane so that Gab would be forced to heal her. Using her energy like that while being unfed and already exhausted would weaken the mind barriers protecting the memories of the Heart. Wisely tried getting in all along, which only worsened their state. Honestly, I don't see how they could have gotten their hands on the memories otherwise, and the Noahs are some sick bastards in the first place.**

 **Also, I wanted to get rid of whatever delusions my dear readers might have: Noahs and Exorcists won't be friends or allies in this story.**

 **I just wanted to make sure it was clear.**

 **Also, if she managed not to scream or cry or whatever: Gab helped. Like, he forced her to keep her mouth shut because he knew she didn't want to let the Noahs hear her scream. Plus, he managed to numb the pain somewhat for a while. That and her sheer will power. That's all there is to it, really.**

 **Question: I asked before, but I really want to know: What do you think of Gabriel? Good character? Bad character? Like? Dislike?**

 **Reviews are love!**


	44. The Game Is On

**YAY! REVIEWS! TORTURE! LAVI!** **To be honest, I was a little worried that it was too harsh for a first original chapter...**

 **Maa, whatever. I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Answer: I like Gab. Gab is good. Gab is fun. Gab was inspired from the one in Supernatural too.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When Lavi came back to everyone with the girl limp in his arms, an unreadable mask on his face, they all feared the worst.

"L-Lavi… is she…"

Timothy was struggling to finish his sentence, and all let out relieved breath when the redhead shook his head in a negative motion.

"She's alive" he assured. "Barely, but still alive"

"Thank God…" Lenalee fall to her knees.

"I-I-I'll take c-care of her in-injuries for n-n-now" proposed Miranda, raising her Innocence.

"Don't" intervened Bookman, eying said injuries carefully. "It might only turn for the worst, what with her own Innocence already acting"

"It is slower than usual" frowned Krory, worried.

For a moment, they all watched as, in fact, her wounds barely healing themselves.

"We should go back before the Noahs find our trails again" finally said Madarao.

"Oi, Beansprout! Open the damn door, would you?" called Kanda, _Mugen_ still in hands.

"The name's Allen" grunted the white-haired boy.

But he executed himself nowadays, and an Ark Gate opened. Lavi was the first to go in, Aryane still cradled in his arms and Bookman on his heels. Krory, Miranda and Marie followed, before Timothy and Lenalee walked inside as well. Madarao and Kanda, after a last look around, walked back to safety, and Allen was the last one to put foot on the Ark.

The door closed.

Six seconds and a half later, dozens of Akumas emerged from the trees, only to find an empty clearing.

Needless to say that many exploded when they came back to the Earl empty-handed.

"It's only a minor set-back…" his eternal grin turning in an ugly rictus. "We'll find the Heart, no matter what!"

But none of his words reached the Exorcists, already far from there.

* * *

The red-haired girl was, to say the least, in a very bad shape. Ugly bruises struggled to fully disappear, rending her overly pale skin blue, yellow and green in many places. Flesh was missing in full flaps on her arms and legs and long, neatly traced scars had settled on her tattered back due to the lack of healing.

Those wouldn't disappear, the redhead feared.

He was sitting next to the bed she had been settled in, keeping her hand in his as the Head Nurse bustled herself around the the teenager. He was the only one who hadn't been sent away, but it must have been because he was the one giving his blood –both were type O+- rather than his mere desire to stay by her side that swoon the old woman.

Aryane had lost a lot of blood. So, so much. She was in an horrible state and yet, her lips were still twisted in the same smile that he found two days ago.

Why was she smiling? Did she knew they were coming? No, she wouldn't have been able to tell. So why?

She must have been ready to give up, then. The Noahs were probably about to get their damn information despite everything, and she had decided to go before they could get their hands on the memories.

His grip tightened, but he instantly released it as he felt the bones in her hands. There was barely any skin on her.

He was angry, though.

Angry at the Order.

Angry at Apocryphos.

Angry at the Noahs.

Angry at himself.

The boy gritted his teeth, and the Head Nurse gently nudged his shoulder.

"Go eat" she ordered. "And rest, too. You need it"

"I'm not leaving h-"

"Now!"

Loosing her gentle expression, she literally kicked him out. Annoyed, but knowing she was right nowadays, he let out an heavy sigh before making his way to the dinning hall, his hands in his pockets.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I remarked was the smell of chemicals lingering around the room I was in.

Slowly, I tilted my head to the right, then to the left. My whole body was extremely sore, but nothing I couldn't overcome.

After a few seconds, I realized that, while I was in what seemed a medical wing, I couldn't say where. The beds, the room… nothing was familiar. And the blue sky behind the window wasn't helping.

... Hold up. Blue sky?

So I wasn't in Headquarters, but I wasn't with the Noahs anymore either.

 _Finally awake…_

 _Trickster? Are you alright? What happened?_

 _Wisely broke in. I… I was about to… shut everything die, as you put it… but Lavi came in at… at the last moment and… blasted the guy away. I think… we fell unconscious on… the way out…_

 _You sound tired, Trickster. Let my wounds be for now, you'll heal them when you feel better._

 _Al… right…_

As he went to rest, I sat on the mattress and eyed myself with a scrunch of my nose. I wasn't filthy, which I was glad for, but I never liked hospital gowns. Plus, my bones were showing so much I was afraid they'd just pop out my ghost-like skin.

God, for how long had I been there? It felt so long…

"Ary!"

I turned to the door, and found Tewaku gaping at me.

Then, her eyes watered, and she was suddenly next to me, hugging my frail body as if there was no tomorrow. Smiling softly, I stroke her golden hair until she calmed down somewhat.

After a few minutes, she pulled away and wiped her tears.

"So, what happened? I know you managed to escape with everyone, but…"

"When we fled, I had to convince the apprentice Bookman that you were dead" she admitted. "He wouldn't leave otherwise. After that, when we were far enough, I told them the truth about how you freed us Thirds, and my… promise. He was pissed, to say the least"

I snorted at that.

"I can imagine" I nodded. "But I told you not to come back" I finally remarked. "It was risky. Why-"

"I promised, not the others" she pointed out with a proud smirk.

I blinked in confusion.

"Others?"

"Everyone's here" she smiled at that. "Ary, all your friends are here. They took on the Noahs and managed to free you, before coming back here"

"Here? Everyone? What the hell is going on!?" I whined, not understanding a single thing.

"M-Miss Aryane! You're finally awake!"

I gazed in surprise as the Head Nurse from Headquarters started taking measures and test, buzzing around me in such a way it made me feel dizzy.

"But… we're not at Headquarters…"

"It's… complicated. I'm going to fetch the others, they'll explain better"

"Don't"

Tewaku stared at me in confusion as I pulled out the damn needles despite the shrieks of the old hag.

"What are you doing!? You are in no state to run around!" she protested.

"I need to eat" I replied seriously. "A lot. Otherwise, it'll take even more time to heal myself. Do you have any crutches?"

* * *

After a few minutes of bickering with the Head Nurse, she made me promise to come back if I felt my state catching up to me. Then, she shoved to crutches in my arms before walking back to what seemed to be her office, grumbling under her breath about "damn Exorcists who couldn't stay in bed".

Little did she know, it was more to get out of the room rather than the sheer envy to spite her. Staying chained up in the dark cell with the Noahs wasn't a far away memory, and I didn't think I'd be able to stay in small spaces for a certain amount of time before long.

So, helped by the crutches and Tewaku, we went outside and-

"Holy shit! We're on the Ark!?"

I recognized the white buildings, the streets, the blue sky… We truly were on the Ark, and I felt my eyes watering as a breeze gently brushed my face.

It had been too long since I've been outside.

"Come on" I blinked them away. "I want to see everyone"

She nodded, biting her lower lip, and guided me towards the main tower.

* * *

Apparently, it was dinner time, so they were all in the dinning hall right now.

As we roamed the hallways, I could sense her uneasiness despite my lack of aura-sensing thingy.

"You don't have to feel bad, you know" I remarked casually.

She snapped her eyes at me.

"But I-"

"Not you, the Akuma" I shook my head. "The Earl was controlling the Akuma inside of you, and you weren't even aware of what was happening, were you?"

The girl shook her head.

"It was… a bad decision" she then said. "All this Third Exorcist Program. It was an horrible choice"

"Do you regret it?" I asked.

"Yes"

"Then it was" I hummed.

At that, though, she sent me an unimpressed look.

"Geez, so helping" she deadpanned.

"Hey, I don't do sugarcoating" I shrugged. "If you regret, then it was a bad decision. Don't do it again, and you should be fine, shouldn't you?"

The teen tried to find an answer, but finally settled for smiling back.

"I'm glad" she breathed out. "You haven't changed. I was afraid…"

She trailed off, but we both knew what she wanted to say. Now grinning fully, I ruffled her hair despite the crutches.

"It takes way more than that to bring me down, Doll" I assured. "I won't say I'm fine right now, seeing as even I wouldn't believe it. But I _will_ be fine, so don't blame yourself and don't worry too much, alright?"

"A-Alright"

"Good. Now are we there yet? I'm truly starving"

That finally earned a short laugh, and we reached two doors. She pushed them open and walked inside first as the chatting inside died down, and I followed.

I could feel all their eyes on me and, unable to stop myself, I raised my hand in a peace sign, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yo! How's life going?"

"ARYYYYYYYY!"

* * *

It had been utter chaos, a mix of screams, cries, sobs, cheers… quite intense, and I had been laughing all along.

Couldn't tell if it was because I was happy or just because I clearly lost a screw or two back then, though.

After around five minutes, I finally managed to settle down at a table, where plates of all sorts were scattered.

So I ate.

However, as they all chatted around me, I couldn't bring myself to eat more than a single plate, which earned a worried glance from Lavi, who hadn't left my side all this time.

"Later" I said quietly.

He nodded and squeezed my hand under the table, before I turned to Lenalee, just in front of me, and Allen, who was sitting next to her.

Needless to say that I had been clearly confused when I first say the white-haired teen.

"So, what happened since I left?" I asked, pushing my plate away.

If they noticed, they didn't say a thing, and Lenalee's light dimmed somewhat.

"After you and Allen fled, it was chaos at Headquarters" she answered. "Link informed us of what truly happened with Apocryphos, so everyone was on edge. After around a month or so, he came back with all of Central's guards and disbanded the European Branch, saying we were corrupted and everything. He tried to trap us Exorcists so that he could absorb us, and… Chaozii didn't make it. He pushed Timothy out of the way and took the blow"

I sent a silent thank to the soul of the man and, after a few seconds of silence, Lenalee pursued.

"Allen came back via the Ark and we fled inside. Apocryphos couldn't reach us in there, and we evacuated all of the survivors. After that, all scientists and Finders were sent back to their families, and we lived in the Ark ever since" she concluded.

"You talk about months… how much time has passed since we left?" I frowned.

"Around three months" answered Marie, just across.

Three months? So I passed all this time with _them_ …

Repressing a shudder, I then reported my attention to the white-haired boy.

"So? What happened with you?" I asked curiously.

"I… settled matters" he shrugged. "What you said, back when we were in the cells at Headquarters… about how scary it was to not know… well, it struck a cord. I mean, I never did questioned Nea's motives, did I? I was just set on staying myself no matter what. And then, Tyki and Road let me go, the first saying that I had to settle matters with my own monsters before calling them monsters…"

"Let me guess: you went to Mother?" I snorted.

"Yeah" he sweatdropped at that. "Gave me the beating too. But, in a way, I guessed it worked"

"What have you settled then?"

"I've talked with Nea" he admitted more quietly. "He won't try to take over, but I have to leave him the control when we face the Earl"

I could tell there was more to it, but didn't push farther. He probably hadn't told more to the rest too.

I sighed, kind of tired by now, and let my head fall on Lavi's shoulder.

"So, let me resume everything: the European Branch is no more. Apocryphos has taken full control of Central and the Vatican. Three months have passed since I left. Allen don't have to worry about becoming a Noah against his will anymore. Finally, the Noahs won't get their hands on Gabriel's memories anytime soon. Oh, and we're on the Ark"

"That's it" nodded the redhead.

"So… who's there?" I gazed around.

He thought for a moment.

"Ji-ji is more than probably checking the library right now" he answered finally. "There are Lenalee, Allen, Marie, you, me, Miranda, Timothy, Krory and Hevlaska, plus the three Marshalls who are probably at the training grounds again. You also saw Komui, Reever, Johnny, Jiji and Dop, plus the Head Nurse and Jeryy. Tewaku, of course, and Madarao and Tokusa, plus Link, are somewhere working on their Feathers –the papers- to gain a larger range of attacks. We've got some Finders too, seeing as they didn't have any family to go back too and didn't want to leave. And –please don't kill me- Leverrier is here too"

"The bastard? Here?" I repeated, more surprised than anything else. "Isn't he the watchdog of the Vatican?"

"His allegiances changed after Apocryphos" he shook his head. "He's still an ass, though"

"Not surprised here. Anyone else?"

His scowl turned to a grin, and I raised an eyebrow as those who heard us chuckled.

"What? What is it?" I scratched the back of my head.

"Well-"

He whispered the name in my ear, and I felt my heart miss a beat.

Next thing I knew, I was darting out of the door, leaving my crutches behind.

* * *

As told, he was at the top of the tower, meditating.

I froze in spot, staring at him, unable to believe.

It was him.

It was truly him.

"Kanda…"

"About damn time you woke up, Akahato" he scoffed, not even glancing at me.

I saw red and, without thinking, I hit his head.

Hard.

"Oi! The hell was that for, wench!?" he protested.

"You idiot!" I yelled, clenching my fists. "How could- how could you come back!? After everything, you could finally be free, damn it! Wasn't it what you wanted? You could finally… finally be _free_.."

I let myself sank to my knees, and I felt the tears burning my cheeks. I wiped them away, but they wouldn't stop flowing. As for the moron, he just stared at me.

"You could be free… you could finally be happy… away from all of this…" I wheezed out. "So why… why did you come back, you stupid jerk?"

He stayed silent as I tried to keep my damn tears inside, in vain.

"It's the second time you cry for me" he then flatly remarked. "I'm flattered"

"Asshole" I whimpered, hitting his arm without much strength. "You utter asshole…"

"You've got uglier too"

At that, I laughed. He hadn't changed.

"You look more like a girl than before, Jerkface" I replied, easing my sobs.

He actually snorted at that, before looking at the city at our feet.

"I had a debt" he finally said quietly. "For the Beansprout, because it was my fault if he awakened the Fourteenth. And for you"

"Me?" I repeated dryly. "Kanda, I put you through _Hell's Salvation_. Trust me, you have no debt to pay"

"I returned the favor by trying to kill you" he retorted, raising an eyebrow. "However… you let Alma and I escape. Because of you, he could die at peace. And that… that's a debt I won't forget"

A smile graced my lips, and he instantly hit my head.

"Ow…"

"Don't let it get to your head, Akahato" he grunted, getting up.

"Don't hit me, I'm injured" I replied.

Trying to mimic him, I found myself unable to take more than two steps. I smiled sheepishly at him.

"Help me back down?"

He scoffed, but lifted me on his back anyway. As we went down the stairs, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" he huffed.

"We've come a long way since it all started for us, eh?" I remarked softly.

"… I guess we did"

His hair was soft, and I was really tempted to pet it.

 _Don't, he might kill you._

 _Trickster! Finally awake?_

 _I'm feeling better now. I'll start healing you._

 _You do that._

"Tenshi!"

Lavi ran to us, and the he-she samurai instantly dropped me in his arms.

"The idiot came all the way up" he said. "Keep watch on her before she dies of her own stupidity"

"Will do, Yuu" Lavi saluted with a smile.

Kanda glared, before walking away.

"Hey, Jerkface!" I called.

"What?" he didn't stop.

"You don't have to stay, you know" I remarked, feeling my consciousness slowly slipping away once more. "It's not the Order anymore. You're free to go whenever you want"

His step actually faltered, before pursing it's advance.

"Which is why I'm staying. Baka"

I exchanged a knowing grin with Lavi.

"Aw, Yuu! Just say you don't want to leave your friends!" he shot after him.

"Tche"

The door closed behind the long-haired Exorcist, and I chuckled along with the redhead.

 _Why are you so happy? He didn't confirmed it._

 _He didn't deny it either._

"Come on, let's get you back to bed"

I yawned, really tired by now.

"Okay" I nodded. "We'll talk… when I wake up…"

"Rest"

He didn't have to ask me twice.

* * *

 _"_ _So, let me repeat all of this: the European Branch has fallen, we're now living on the Ark and Allen made a truce with Nea"_

"Yep! Crazy stuff, uh?" I stretched.

Now in my mindscape, I had explained all that had happened to Gabriel, and we were now lying on the white grass.

 _"_ _Also, we survived three months with the Noahs"_

"Yeah, we're awesome like that" I smirked a little at that.

 _"_ _That we are"_

We bumped fists, before laughing.

It was good. To finally be free. To be away from them. Not having to worry about what would befall me today.

The Angel shifted next to me.

 _"_ _I really was going to do it, you know"_ he suddenly added.

"You promised me" I replied, more serious. "If the others hadn't intervened when they did, Wisely would have prod deeper and would have found the memories. We couldn't afford that"

 _"_ _I know"_ he sighed heavily. _"Doesn't mean I have to like it"_

"The past it the past, Trickster" I remarked, sitting up. "We did what we had to do, and that's that. Hakuna Mattata, okay?"

 _"…_ _Okay"_

However, he didn't seem at peace. Frowning, I nudged his side.

"What is it?"

His own frown became apparent.

 _"_ _The barriers have fallen. I can't build them back up again, seeing as they were an aftereffect of the spell I used to make me forget. Now, the memory flow will probably strengthen"_

"Wait, you mean that… the Heart will soon appear?" I blinked.

 _"_ _The nightmares… my memories, will only get worse too"_ he added, more darkly.

I looked down at my hands for a moment. After so many millenniums –seven, eight, more?- the truth would finally reveal itself.

The Heart would be discovered.

I… didn't know how to feel, to be honest. Happy? Of course. Wary? That's a given. Scared? More than anything. Relieved? Maybe a little of that too.

 _"_ _It'll be over soon. This millennium war is coming to it's end, at last"_

"And we'll win for sure" I clenched my fist. "If not, then we'll come back and fight again, simple as that"

 _"_ _That's my girl. Now shoo and let me do my damn job, would you?"_

I rolled my eyes, but left anyway, having a lot to ponder about.

But first, I had to talk to my friends.

* * *

Gabriel now back in force, my worse injuries healed easily. My Innocence hadn't been damaged, seeing as I didn't activate it during my, err… visit, at the Noah Mansion to avoid unnecessary pain, so he just had to take care of my body.

…

That sounded weird.

Passing on!

Now able to walk on my own without the damn crutches, I was making my way towards the Thirds' auras, that I could feel not far from the room Lavi had put me in before leaving again.

Them first, because I needed to make sure they were alright, what with my _Shield_ and the Alma cells.

So, after a few minutes of roaming the empty hallways, I finally reached what I recognized to have been Skin Bolic's room when we first came on the Ark. They were testing explosive Feathers in company of Link.

"Yo!" I called, making my way at that.

Surprised, they turned to me. Tokusa let one of the papers fall onto Link's foot, which caught on fire and, in the sudden panic, he stumbled onto Tewaku, who lost her balance. Madarao tried to grab them, but lost his foot and fall with them in the pond just next to everyone.

There was a moment of silence, before I started laughing.

"O-oh God…"

I tried to stifle my laughs with my hands as they stepped out, wet and scowling, but it wasn't working too well.

"Don't laugh, Ary" Tewaku sent me a small glare.

"Trust me" I choked. "You'd laugh in my place too. Nice welcome, by the way"

Tokusa grunted, Tewaku shook her head, Link actually rolled his eyes and Madarao simply twisted his shirt to get rid of the water.

Calming my laughter, I then bowed before the green-haired man.

"I wanted to thank you, for coming back" I said. "And for saving me. Arigato"

As I straightened again, though, I was surprised to see him bowing too.

"It was the least I could do, for you saved my sister, my brothers and I" he replied.

"Brothers?" I blinked in confusion.

Then, I realized he was talking about Tokusa and Link.

"Oh, right. By the way, Cupcake, I won't apologize for knocking you out back at Headquarters" I warned.

"It actually hurt" he replied with a scowl.

"Better hurt than dead, ne? Apocryphos would have killed you if you intervened in our fight" I retorted seriously. " _I_ wasn't even a match for him, he almost killed me with one blow, so honestly? You were just an ant in his way"

He nodded, apparently accepting my explication, and I turned back to the Thirds.

"How are you three feeling?" I asked. "I can guess that coming back wasn't exactly a comfortable experience, but… are there any after-effects? Dizziness? Sudden envy to strangle me?"

"I do want to strangle you, but it's more because you stabbed us than anything else" grunted Tokusa.

"Technically speaking, that was Gabriel" I remembered. "He did warn you, though. Well, except for Doll here. Didn't have the time. And… I'm sorry, too. I couldn't save Kiredori and Gushi"

"Ary, you can't save everyone" replied softly the blonde girl.

"Doesn't stop me from trying, though" I shrugged. "But if you really insist: I'm sorry for stabbing you and more than probably saving you from a life as an Akuma under the control of the Millennium Earl and the Noah Clan"

Tokusa scoffed, Tewaku giggled, Link shook his head in exasperation and Madarao actually smiled a little at that.

"To answer your question, there are no after-effects" he then said. "Minor this"

He pulled down his collar, revealing the emplacement of his heart, and I stared in surprise at the distinct form of a feather carved in the skin like some sort of tatoo.

"We tested it" added Tewaku with a smile. "They're not as strong as your _Shield_ , but it effectively blocks the Akuma attacks"

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up a second" I rubbed my temples. "You actually tested it with real Akumas!?"

They just shrugged, and I was really tempted to bang my head against a wall.

"You're worst than I am" I sighed. "No, scratch that, I would've probably have done the same. But anyway, I'm just glad to see it worked better than expected. I gotta go now, though. People to see, places to be…"

"Ary, there's a library in here, a really big one!" suddenly said Tewaku, eyes glinting.

I smiled happily at the memory of the thousand of shelves.

"I know! How about we explore later?"

"Sounds good" she nodded. "We'll see you at lunch!"

"See you!"

Waving, I then walked away, heading for my next target: Komui.

* * *

When I entered what had became the office, I could see Reever, Dap, Johnny and Jiji working on what seemed to be a new uniform. Komui was farther away, dozens of papers covering his desk.

I sweatdropped.

"How can you have paperwork when you're not working for the Order anymore?" I asked.

"They're blank, it's just some nostalgia" he replied, never lifting his eyes from what he was working on. "Hello, Ary"

I sat on the couch, waiting for everything to explode.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Wai-

"ARY!?"

"Yo"

"ARY!"

I was suddenly trapped in a choking hold as the four scientists ran to us, just now realizing my presence.

"U-unhand me!" I gasped for air. "Boss, you're k-killing me!"

That made him let go, but not exactly for the good reason.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, DISAPEARING LIKE THAT? HEADQUARTERS WERE ATTACKED, THEN ALLEN LEFT WITH SOME NOAHS AND YOU WENT MIA FOR THREE FUCKING MONTHS, BEFORE THE THIRDS FOUND US AND INFORMED US THAT YOU WERE PRISONNER OF THE DAMN NOAHS! THEN, WHEN THEY COME BACK FROM THE RESCUE MISSION, IT'S WITH YOU TO THE DOORS OF DEATH, AND NOW YOU'RE IN MY OFFICE AND THE FIRST THING YOU SAY IS ABOUT THE FRICKING PAPERWORK!?"

"I HAD TO GO, AND IT'S NOT LIKE I ASKED TO BE KIDNAPPED BY THE NOAHS, FYI! Well, I kind of did but anyway AND I CAN'T EXACTLY CONTROLLED THE TIME I WAS TRAPPED, CAN I?"

"NOT THE POINT! YOU'RE CONFINED TO BED FOR A WEEK!"

"AS IF! YOU'RE NOT MY BOSS ANYMORE!"

"DON'T CARE, GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

Unable to keep it up any longer, I snorted and let myself fall back on the couch. Komui smiled, and the scientists chuckled.

"Long time no see, Boss" I greeted.

"A long time indeed" he nodded. "Feeling better?"

"I won't say I'm fine, otherwise the others will kill me" I shrugged. "But I'll be okay"

"Good. Have you been briefed on what exactly happened?" he asked, more serious.

"We're not with the Order anymore, Apocryphos is in control, Allen is back, we're on the Ark, three months, and we'll soon be able to find the Heart" I resumed, counting on my fingers.

"Yes, we- what!?"

I shifted in place a little.

"One of the Noahs, Wisely, has been able to break through my mind barriers" I explained, my throat dry at the thought. "It'll allow the memories to reach me more easily. I should be able to find the Heart soon"

"Did the Noahs found out?" he frowned.

"No, the rescue team popped in before they could" I assured. "Everything's fine for now, don't worry about it. I just wanted to stop by and ask how you were doing. Oh, and what exactly are our resources right now, too. Never hurts to know, uh?"

"We're fine, girl" assured Dap, ruffling my hair.

"As for our resources, well, we're kind of limited when technology is concerned" admitted Johnny. "But using the gates, we managed to bring back a few of our equipment. We're currently creating a new uniform, so that you can still do your job as Exorcists. We also have the support of the Asian Branch"

"Wait… now that I think about it… all the living Exorcists are here" I realized. "That means that the Order will more than probably be disbanded, or become a full military force. This has become a three way war: the Noahs, Apocryphos and Central, and us. Oh, this is bad…"

"Their Finders are still searching for Innocence fragments" added Reever. "But we developed a machine that allows us to spot anywhere in the world any fragment that appears"

I whistled at that.

"Nice. And it works?"

"So far so good" he answered with a smile. "Seeing as they don't have the abilities to take them, it's easy for us to to just pop in and grab it before disappearing again. We got three more, but one was destroyed by the Akumas. They're with Hevlaska right now"

"Good, good. I'll be going, then" I got back to my feet.

"It's good to see you again, kid" grinned Jiji, patting my back.

"It's good to be back" I retorted with the peace sign.

* * *

As I made my way to find Allen, I crossed paths with none other than Leverrier.

We both stopped, two meters separating us, none of us looking away.

"Am I a traitor, Leverrier?" I then asked in a blank tone.

He seemed to struggle, but finally swallowed his pride, and slightly bowed his head.

"You were right" he simply answered. "Exorcists… are not weapons"

I blinked in surprise at this development, and he looked away.

"This man… Chaozii, if I remember correctly" he suddenly seemed far away. "He saved this boy's life, not even using his Innocence, not even asking for anything ni return… They- you, are all humans, and I was a fool"

"That you were" I nodded. "But the real fools are the ones that never learns, don't you think?"

"I would believe that you are correct" he nodded.

For a moment, I truly wondered if he was about to smile, but his eternal poker face kept in place.

My own smile slipped and I found a serious mode once again.

"I don't think we'll ever be friends, Leverrier" I announced. "I can forgive, but I don't forget so easily. However, I won't hold your past actions against you, for you are truly willing to change. You are a right man, fighting for justice despite the wrongs of his chosen path. So, we won't be friends, Leverrier. However, I wouldn't mind one more comrade on the field"

I raised my hand at him, and he eyed me for a second, before shaking it firmly.

Then, we both pulled away.

"I will see you around then, Exorcist Aryane" he said, walking away.

"Have a nice day, Inspector Leverrier" I replied, going in the opposite direction.

I smirked when I clearly felt his aura shift at my farewell.

The use of his title hadn't been mocking, or degrading, and it confused him.

 _Do you truly believed in what you said, Hime?_

 _You know I do. I can't forget all that he has done, but I'm not God. Who am I to deny a future to a man because of his past?_

 _You're becoming quite poetic._

 _Doesn't mean I won't fuck with his mind a little, though._

 _And I take it back. You're an evil, evil little thing._

 _Proud of it too._

* * *

I finally found the white-haired boy meditating in one of the many gardens.

Sitting next to him, I waited for him to talk first.

It didn't take long.

"I'm going to be the next Earl"

"That's nice"

I pulled a strand of grass and nibbled the tip. It was sweet.

After a few seconds, I turned to see Allen apparently struggling with what I had just answered.

"I just told you I was going to be the next Millennium Earl!" he repeated.

"Yeah, I got it the first time" I nodded. "How come?"

"You seriously freak me out sometimes" he grunted. "But… the deal. With Nea. He's going to kill the Earl, and we'll take his place as Millennium Earl"

"But _why_ does he wants to be Earl?" I asked, suddenly curious. "I never asked Trickster…"

"Nea discovered a third side to the war" he answered. "Love"

This time, I examined his features, but couldn't find any deception.

Then, I snorted.

"This is _so_ cheap"

"Tell that to him" he cringed. "But anyway. When his and Mana's mother was killed to protect them, he realized that humans were- _are_ , much more than what Noahs gave them credit for. There was family, friends, hope. He doesn't want the Earl to bring the Three Days of Darkness, and becoming the new Lord Millennium ensures this resolution"

"You'll be trapped, though" I remarked. "If _he_ becomes the new Earl, you won't have any control. If _you_ become the new Earl, then you'll watch as all of us dies of old age or whatever. Are you truly ready to support this burden?"

He bit his lower lip, his lemon aura growing uneasy, but determined.

The strand of grass fell from my mouth.

"You… don't intend to" I realized.

"Once everything is done… Nea becoming the Earl will ensure peace" he scratched the back of his head. "And I can't just watch as you all die around. I wouldn't be able to, no matter what I say or do. So…"

"So you'll die" I understood in a flat tone. "Leave him all the control, let him push you out and die"

"Yeah"

We stayed silent for a moment, and I sighed.

"Are you sure?"

"I am"

"Then I won't stop you"

At that, he actually smiled.

"I know"

"I don't like it, though" I felt very tired, all at once. "After all of this was over, I was really hoping you'd be able to live your life. Free. Happy. Safe. _Alive_. Guess it won't happen after all, eh?"

"You're saying this as if all of this would happen tomorrow" he pointed out with a dry chuckle.

"Not tomorrow, but soon" I assured. "Sooner than you think. The Heart will reveal it's position in a month, at most. And after that…"

"All the pieces will fall in place" he completed. "But I'm ready"

"I know"

Then, unable to stop myself, I hugged him as hard as I could.

"I'll miss you"

He simply hugged back, but his determination didn't waver.

* * *

"Now, I only have to find this stupid Bookboy…" I muttered, heading for the training grounds.

When I got there, I saw him sparring with Timothy, the three Marshalls watching.

It was hand-to-hand combat, no Innocence allowed seeing as Timothy's couldn't exactly be activated in this situation, but I could see Tsukikami floating next to him and guiding his steps.

The boy managed to kick Lavi in the guts, sending him rolling in the dust.

"Nice one, Brat!" I cheered, making my presence known.

"Ary-nee!"

Instantly forgetting his dual, he ran at me and hugged me as hard as he could. Chuckling, I returned the embrace in force as my boyfriend got back to his feet with a slight scowl.

"Hands off, kiddo. She's mine" he warned, coming our way.

"E-eh?" he blurted out, looking at the two of us. "No way! A guy like you wouldn't be able to get a girl like Ary-nee!"

"I'm actually offended" Lavi blinked, surprise at the remark. "And who'd be perfect with her, then? You?"

"Nu-uh! Kanda would be great, 'cause he's awesome like her!"

I hide my face in my hands, choking on my laughter as the two brawled a little. An hand on my shoulder made my head turn to Tiedoll.

"Hey, Tiedoll-sensei!" I grinned. "It's been a while"

And, for the second time that day, I was trapped in a choking embrace.

"MY LITTLE ARY-CHAN IS BACK TO US! IT IS A MIRACLE!"

As he cried his tears of joy, I struggled through his grip and landed on the ground, panting to get back some air in my lungs.

"Batshit geezer…" I wheezed.

An hand presented itself at me, and I took it with gratitude. Klaud smiled at me.

"It is good to see you up, Aryane"

"Please, just Ary" I waved it off. "And I'm seriously glad to be up too. Have you ever had nerve damages in your two legs? Nasty little things…"

"Crazy as ever, eh, Little Girl?" Sokaro roughly slapped my back.

I bite back a wince, my scars stinging a little, but kept on my grin.

"Zombie-dude!"

We bumped fists, and Lavi and Timothy were finally back with us. As if to prove a point, the redhead passed an arm around my shoulders and pulled his tongue to the kid.

I swatted his torso.

"You're ridiculous" I shook my head, exasperated.

"But you love me anyway" he grinned.

"Unfortunately" I rolled my eyes. "Now come on, we've got to talk"

"That's what they all say" snorted Sokaro.

"What do you mean?" asked Timothy, curious.

"And that's all for you" I placed my hands on his ears, before sending a glare at the Marshall. "Keep your perverted ideas to you, would ya? There are chaste souls here, mine included"

 _You're worse than I am sometimes, Hime._

 _But I don't say it out loud before kids._

 _Kid_ _s_ _?_

 _Timothy and Lavi._

As Gabriel laughed, I grabbed Lavi's hand and we both waved at the four of them before walking away.

* * *

"Wipe that stupid grin of your face, Bookboy" I grunted.

"You're embarrassed" he replied, disobeying my demand.

"No I'm not"

"Yes you are"

"Just shut up, would ya?"

"Make me"

This time, I truly turn to him, my fist ready to strike, but he grabbed my wrist and forced it down, before leaning in and posing his lips on mine.

I instantly gave in, having missed his sole presence in the last couple of weeks.

After a few minutes of making out in the hallway, we pulled away, panting slightly but both smiling.

"Come on"

* * *

We went back to his room –no idea where mine was- before both sitting on the bed.

"So, what happened?" I asked first.

He shifted, thinking back.

"We were captured by a Noah" he answered, rubbing his chin. "Kind of freaky, with eyeballs on his tongue"

"Yeah, met that one" I cringed at the memory.

"They wanted information on the Fourteenth, that Ji-ji had, apparently" he pursued, frowning somewhat. "Of course, he didn't talk. Wouldn't want him too, either. They tortured me so that he'd give in"

I squeezed his hand at that. Both of us knew that his grandfather would never give in, no matter what.

Not that we blamed him, of course.

"The Noah put an eye in me" he added, rubbing his chest. "It's gone, now, Ji-ji ripped it out with his needles, but _damn_ , that wasn't fun… anyway, after that, well… they told us you were here, too. Nothing more, just that you were another prisoner. And on it went, and on it went. Seeing as Ji-ji still wouldn't talk, they just… kind of forgot us, someday. They didn't come back, and that was that. But then, the Thirds came and freed us"

"I asked Tewaku" I nodded.

"Yeah, I know" he actually glared at me. "She told me your were _dead_ , Ary"

"It was the only way to get you to leave, and she promised" I retorted. "Don't be angry with her, please"

"Oh, I'm not angry at her" he shook his head. "I'm downright pissed at _you_. The hell were you thinking, asking not to be saved like that?"

"They would have instantly known, and none of us would have escaped then" I replied. "Plus, it's done now. I really hope you recorded that, apprentice Bookman, 'cause it sure as hell won't happen again"

"You're hopeless" he banged his head against the wall.

I just shrugged, and he became serious once again.

"What happened to you?"

"Well… the others must have briefed you on Apocryphos' apparition, right? Well, after that, I flew away. I couldn't stay any longer. However, I was already tired because of the injuries I sustained during the fight with Alma Karma, and I hadn't eaten either. Plus, I couldn't walk because of some stupid nerve damage in my legs, so when Tyki and Road found me, they just had to pick me up like some sort of daisy and bam! Prisoner of the Noahs"

"Nerve damage?" he repeated, eying my legs.

"All healed now, don't worry" I shrugged it off. "But after that, when I woke up, the Earl tried to convince me to cooperate by bribing me with dinner…"

"I'm surprised you didn't give in"

I hit his head, and he laughed a little.

"I _refused_ " I assured, annoyed at his lack of faith. "And that led me to being tortured each and every day for the whole time of my little stay"

"Why? It's not like you could reveal the information if you wanted too" he remarked, now frowning.

"Torturing me forced Gabriel to heal me, and they weren't exactly feeding me either, so it kept weakening us" I precised, scrunching my nose at the memory. "They thought it'd weaken the barriers too, which actually worked as the stupid mind-rapist kept hitting at the same damn place… in the end, he managed to bring them down. But barely a second after, you were there"

His eye widened slightly.

"The one I knocked out?"

"That's him" I confirmed. "Real bastard too. But, in the end, they didn't get their hands on the memories and now, they cleared the path for us to walk on"

"You mean you can find the Heart?"

"Soon"

His arms were then around me, and I found myself trapped against his chest, his chin on the top of my hand.

"You said you were captured after you fled the Order" he said, more quietly. "You stayed there for three months?"

"I did"

"I'm surprised you didn't suffer psychological damage"

"But I wasn't alone" I pointed out. "Trickster was there too, and he kept me sane. Well, for the most part. I always had a few screw loose in there"

He let out a laugh at that, and I settled more comfortably in his arms.

"I'm not completely unaffected, though" I admitted. "I can't eat much, no matter how much I want too. I guess I'll have to get used to eating again. And I can't stay in little spaces for long either"

"You never could" he replied smartly.

"True"

I breathed in his scent. I missed him.

A lot.

"I love you"

"Love you too"

After that, we fall silent, both content with the embrace.

::

 _I looked around._

 _I was in a forest, surrounded by humidity and vegetation of all sort._

 _A red-eyed frog jumped out of the tree to my right. Green eyes stared at me through the foliage. A snake pressed it's body against the ground._

 _I started walking forward, never striving from a path I however couldn't see. I had no control over my body, as if I was a mere outsider, watching through my own eyes._

 _After a few minutes, I reached what seemed to be a temple. Really old, barely standing and half-crumbling under the lianas and the exotic flowers._

 _Making my way through the rubbles, careful as to not bring it to the ground because of a misplaced step, I finally reached-_

::

I snapped my eyes open, breath hitched and irregular as my heart beat so fast I thought it was about to implode.

For a second, the image of a ruby danced before my eyes, before disappearing.

 _Hime, breath. Calm down. It's alright. Breath. That's it, in, and out. In, and out._

After a few more seconds, I realized I was back in my room.

 _T-Trickster? Wha… what happened? Was that… the Heart?_

 _More or less. I remember, now. The Heart had… well, some sort of case, if you want the simple term. It's the only thing that can truly and fully control the Innocence's powers. Without it, the Host get's overwhelmed and usually turns insane, before dying._

 _Ain't that nice. So, we need this case first?_

 _Yeah. What you saw was the emplacement of the first fragment. Before hiding the Heart, I broke the case in four pieces, just in case._

 _And let me guess: they're all scattered across the world._

 _Yep._

Rubbing my temples, I recalled the fuzzy nightmare that turned out to be, as usual, a memory.

 _So, where was this one?_

 _…_

 _Trickster._

 _Darién Gap._

It took me a few seconds to remember where I had heard that name before.

 _You've got to be fucking kidding me._

 _Well, you can't say it isn't safe, right?_

 _This is_ far _from safe, Gabriel! It's the most dangerous jungle in the fucking world!_

I could feel him shrug, and my headache only became worse. However, at the same time, I was glad.

Things were starting to move.

 _Guess the chessboard is set now, uh, Hime?_

 _The pieces are on their cases. Black and white are about to clash._

 _You're ready?_

 _More than ever. Now… the game is on._

* * *

 **Okay! So, once more, to put things simple: the Heart is the most powerful piece of Innocence, obviously. However, that power usually turns the Heart's Host insane, before killing him or her since it uses so much lifespan. So, a Case was created. This Case hold most of its power in check or, otherwise said, the Host won't turn batshit crazy when using it. So, they'll need the Case first. However, Gabriel broke it into four pieces so that it'd be harder to find the Heart and use it. Since we go with the order of the memories, it means she'll have the most "recent" memory first. The piece in Darién Gap is, logically speaking, the fourth one. Then it'll be the third, then the second, then the first, and finally the Heart.**

 **Yes, I'm going somewhere with this. Don't worry.**

 **I know, Nea isn't like that. Like, at all. However, I'm not following the manga anymore, and it's my story anyway, so I'll just do whatever the hell I want to.**

 **Question: I'm curious, so indulge me: what's your favorite Anime (or manga)?**

 **Reviews are love!**


	45. Madness In Darién Gap

**So, I just wanted to point out that all the places** **mentioned for the Case Pieces and the Heart exists. Also, everything explained about Darién Gap is true, just so you know.**

 **Answer: My favorite Anime is -Man and Fairy Tail, and also Tokyo Ghoul (which I haven't finished, but it's coming nicely).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, everyone had been gathered in the library at my demand, which was the only place big enough to accommodate all those present on the Ark.

Plus, it inspired a certain serious mood.

 _Just get on with it, Hime._

 _Hai, hai._

"Before everything, you have to know this: the Heart isn't the only artifact we need" I started seriously. "To control its power and avoid its Host to become insane and fall to the control of the Innocence fragment, a Case has been forged. This Case is now in four pieces, all hidden somewhere in the world. Last night, I discovered the emplacement of the first fragment. We need the Case before finding the Heart, and our mission is now set"

They all nodded, very serious.

"Where is it, Ary?" asked Reever.

"Darién Gap"

There was a stilled silence. Many were confused, because the place wasn't that popular to begin with, but the scientists, the Marshalls, the Finders, the Thirds, Link, Leverrier and the two Bookmen knew very well what I was talking about.

"Tell me you're kidding, Akahato" Kanda pinched the bridge of his nose.

Him too, apparently.

I shook my head.

"I'm not, unfortunately. It's hidden in a temple, in the middle of the jungle"

Timothy raised his hand, confused.

"What's Darién Gap?" he asked.

Lavi instantly went in Bookman mode.

"Darién Gap is a break in the Pan-American Highway, consisting of a large swath of undeveloped swampland and forest within Panama's Darién Province in Central America and the northern portion of Colombia's Chocó Department in South America. It measures just over 160 miles long and about 50 miles wide. Road building through this area is expensive, and the environmental cost is high. Political consensus in favor of road construction has not yet emerged. Consequently there is no road connection through the Darién Gap conn-" **(A/N: Long live Wikipedia!)**

I hit his head with a book, effectively shutting him up.

"What our dear walking encyclopedia is trying to say is that Darién Gap is the most dangerous jungle in the whole world" I precised. "No official route exists, so going through is almost an impossible mission"

"D-d-d-dangerous?" repeated Miranda, gulping a little.

We all turned to the scientists for the details.

"There are many military movements, and way more illegal deeds committed in there" answered calmly Reever. "Kidnapping, killing spree, drugs, armed conflicts… you name it, you find it. It's a paradise for the guerrillas and drug dealers, plus thugs of all kinds, really"

"If it's not them, then the very nature will take care of you" added Johnny, checking his notes. "Almost all animals and plants there are poisonous. Most of the time, a single bite will kill you instantly, and that's just the spiders, the frogs and the snakes. There are others like the mosquitos, which transfers the Malaria, and also scorpions, fire ants, jaguars, bot flies –they lay eggs under your skin-, alligators, and many more"

"And let's not forget the humidity and heat too" pursued Dap. "Sometimes, it gets so hot that they suffocate there and then. Plus, once inside, there's no signal. So, no GPS, no phones, no Golems, nothing to call for help"

Seeing how Miranda went really pale all at once, I decided to step in.

"Okay, I think they get it, guys"

"I never heard of it before" Allen pointed out.

"No one lived to tell the tales, Kiddo" I replied.

"Touché" he sweatdropped.

"Fortunately, no Innocence fragment has ever been spotted in that area, which is why we never sent Finders" remarked Jiji. "And why they know about it, too. We always present the most dangerous places so that they know the risks before getting in"

"Incorrect" Komui shook his head. "We sent a team, once. None of them came back, and we never tried again"

"Until today" I completed.

"Until today" he agreed.

"W-wait! You can't be serious!" protested Lenalee. "If this place is as dangerous as you said, then why go? The fragment is safe, isn't it? So why-"

"Jumper"

She snapped her eyes at me, and I could see the fear in her eyes.

"This war… it's been going on for long enough" I said softly. "Many great people died, trying to bring it to its end. Many more will, too. Now… now is our chance, to finally achieved what we fought for for so many years. Now is our chance to stop this damn war once and for all. Finding the Case, then the Heart, is not a yes-or-no option. If we don't do it, the Noahs will. It's us or them, now, and with Apocryphos joining the party, it'll only get harder. There's no going back, and we can only moved forward from now on"

My friend bit her lower lip, and Krory placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Of course, we can't have everyone coming either" I added. "A too big group would only get unwanted attention, and put us at risk even more"

"So who's going?" asked Madarao.

I blinked a few times, trying to wrap my head around what he just asked.

Then, seeing everyone waiting for an answer, I felt panic rise inside of me.

"W-wait! Why are you all looking at me like that?" I wailed my arms around. "Why are you asking me that? How the hell should I know? _They're_ the Marshalls, ask them!"

"Well, you did kind of take command" remarked Lavi.

"N-no! I didn't- it's not- God, don't do this to me" I let my head fall on his shoulder.

That broke the tension somewhat as the rest chuckled, and Tiedoll finally stepped in to take things in charge.

"Ary will go, of course" he nodded my way. "You're the only one who knows the way. Plus, you're immune to poison, which is a great asset in this jungle"

"Good point"

"Bookman, Lavi, I guess you will have to record it" he pursued. "And Bookman knows a lot about poisons and plants"

They both nodded their assent and Lavi sent me a wink, at which I rolled my eyes.

"Klaud, if you wouldn't mind…"

"I'll go" she nodded.

"Then Allen, seeing as you're the one opening the gates" pursued the Marshall.

"Finally, Krory and Kanda" he concluded. "You need some combat power too"

The boy and the man agreed, and I could feel Lenalee's aura growing more determined.

"Oi, Jumper!" I called, making her stilled. "Mind coming with us too?"

Instantly, Komui was on my back.

"W-what!? There is no way-"

"Sure" she sent me a grateful look.

"Then, it completes the team for this mission" announced Tiedoll.

"When should we leave?" asked Kanda.

Komui sighed, before checking the time.

"Right now. The sooner you go, the sooner you get back"

"Meet back at the garden in fifteen minutes" rendezvous Allen.

"Got it"

The little meeting adjourned, we all walked out to go get our things.

 _I feel kind of nostalgic. It's been a while since we last went on a mission._

 _Comes back to Paris and G, right?_

 _God, it feels like forever since that time… eh, ever thought about how everything just… kind of started, when Allen joined the Order? It's weird. Like how the story starts only when the main character make his entrance or something…_

 _Be careful, Hime, you're becoming self-aware._

 _What...?_

 _Nothing._

* * *

We waved, before passing through the gate.

We landed in a small street of La Palma, capital of the East of Panama. Seeing as Allen couldn't open a gate where he hadn't been before –by some luck, he had been in La Palma once-, we would be forced to make our way by foot.

Kanda opened the map, but I quickly got disinterested, some sort of pull making my feet shake in my boots. I was really tempted to run. No idea where, or why, though.

 _It's the memory. You know where it is. Just follow your instincts._

 _I never was a fan of these sorts of things._

"Come on, guys" I called nowadays. "It's this way"

None of them questioned, probably coming to the conclusion that Gabriel was guiding me or something, and we made our way through the city for a while. We were apparently on an island, and I couldn't help but notice how the place lacked of Akumas.

That was a nice change.

However, we soon found out that we weren't exactly wearing the good clothes.

It was hot.

So, so, damn hot.

And we all knew it would only be worst once in the jungle.

"How about we just shop for whatever we need today, take a good night rest and take on the wild forest tomorrow?" proposed Lavi, tugging on his collar.

 _He's hot._

 _Oh God, Trickster. Are you gay or something? Not that I have anything against it, but I'm seriously wondering._

 _Hey, I can watch the menu even if I'm not allowed to order, alright?_

 _You're creeping me out._

"I'd say it's a good idea" Lenalee nodded, cheeks all red.

"Agreed" I nodded, fanning myself. "Meet back here in two hours?"

"Hai"

With that, the boys went one way while Klaud, Lenalee and I went the other. As we walked down the street, I stared at the little monkey on the woman's shoulder.

"Can I pet him?" I finally gave in.

She smiled, before nodding. Instantly, I raised my hand at the animal, slowly as not to scare it. He eyed me for a moment, before jumping on my head and nesting against my neck, making me giggle as his fur tickled me.

"He seems to like you" remarked Klaud, somewhat surprised.

"It's the Innocence" I precised, patting it's head. "The fragments seem to take a liking to Angels and their Hosts"

"He's cute" smiled Lenalee. "His name is Lau Shimin, right?"

"He's also the one who gave me this scar, if you want to know" replied the Marshall, still smiling. "Before I tamed him, he was… a little wild"

"That's an understatement" I snorted, sending the little guy back to his master. "But don't worry, you're still beautiful. My hair's better, though"

That earned a short laugh from the scarred woman as the monkey settled back on her shoulder, and Lenalee simply rolled her eyes.

I just smiled.

* * *

Two hours later, we had sent back our Exorcists uniforms on the Ark, so that we wouldn't be slowed down by unnecessary baggage. Then, we went to find an inn. On our way, as the night slowly settled down upon the city, I shook my head, amused.

"Bookboy, you're still the worst at surprising people"

He grunted, just behind me, and intertwined his fingers with mines, coming to walk by my side.

"It's your damn aura-witchcraft-thingy" he huffed.

I laughed, and kissed his cheek. Instantly, his pout disappeared and was replaced by a smug smirk.

"You know, I like these shorts" he remarked. "Quite fitting"

I instantly hit the back of his head, feeling my cheeks burn a little.

"It's for practical purposes only!" I assured. "You damn pervert... Plus, Lenalee and Klaud got them too!"

"Yeah, but you're my favorite" he grinned down at me and stole another kiss.

I was about to answer fervently when I felt the he-she samurai approaching.

"Find a room, would ya?" he grunted.

We laughed at his scowl, suddenly remarking we had stopped walking, and quickly joined the rest of the group.

* * *

The next day, we were all well rested and ready to take on the jungle. No more memories had come back, but Gabriel said it was normal, so I didn't worry myself about it.

So, we had rented a few cars fit to the land, before heading for the wild forest. It had taken us about three hours or so before reaching the end of the marked road. Leaving the cars behind, we started walking through the dense vegetation, careful as not to touch anything pointy.

I was in the lead, following the pull. Bookman was just behind, eying the plants with wariness to spot the venomous ones. After him came Lenalee and Klaud, both keeping an eye out for the animals. Lavi and Kanda, behind them, had pulled out their respective weapons, just in case. Finally, Allen and Krory closed the march.

As I felt sweat run down my back like a fricking waterfall, I sighed heavily.

It would be a long journey.

* * *

As I scrunched my nose at the weird flower that had just eaten a full bird in one strike, I felt a presence next to me. Turning around, I was suddenly face to face with a frog big like my fist, held in Lavi's hand, his grinning face taunting me.

"Come on, won't you kiss it so it becomes a prince?" he proposed.

I eyed the animal for a second.

"Its skin's poisonous"

"Shit!"

He instantly dropped it and started wiping his hands on his shirt. His panic made me laugh, and he soon understood that I was merely mocking him.

He glared, crossing his arms.

"That was _so_ not cool"

Something move from the corner of my eye, and I shot one of my feathered blades without really thinking. The weapon passed barely an inch from his face, and actually cut some of his red/auburn hair, before embedding itself in the tree just behind.

"W-what the hell, Ary!?" he exclaimed, very pale all of sudden.

"Snake"

"U-uh?"

The redhead looked behind him. Just as I said, a snake was now pinned to the bark, my blade piercing it's skull, it's fangs still glinting in the sunlight.

"That one really was poisonous" I said honestly. "Want to kiss it?"

He quickly shook his head, rubbing his throat where the animal nearly stroke.

* * *

"Gaah!"

Lenalee jumped back, just in time to avoid the jaws of the alligator.

"Hiban!"

Lavi fried the poor thing, but didn't see the other one coming in his back.

"Behind!" I called.

Not even looking, Kanda sliced the head in two.

* * *

"Swamps… I hate swamps…" I whined.

"Tenshi, you're hitching a ride on my back" recalled my boyfriend with a scowl.

"Still hate these damn things"

* * *

"Watch out!"

A jaguar jumped out of the foliage, pinning Allen to the ground.

We all froze in spot. At the slightest movement, the best could rip the boy's head off without even trying.

"N-nice… kitty… kitty…" gulped the white-haired teen, barely daring to breath.

There was a crack, and I snapped my head at Klaud, who had taken out a whip, gaining the animal's attention.

She cracked it once again, before hitting the little devil in the side. It snarled her way, moving away from our friend, and bared it's fangs at the woman. Not backing down, she attacked again. It tried to jump at her throat, but she easily deflected it and, after it's failure, the beast just ran away.

My nose prickled.

"Fuck my li- 'tchi!"

The tension instantly evaporating, the group just started laughing at my predicament as Bookman handed me some pills.

"I –'tchi!- I fucking ha-ha- 'tchi!- hate cats" I grunted.

* * *

All in all, I guess we could say that we had been lucky for our first day. We hadn't encountered any armed group, and handled the jungle quite easily.

As darkness befall us, Allen opened a gate so that we could go back on the Ark for the night and come back tomorrow.

Well, tried to, at least.

"It doesn't work!" he announced warily. "I can't open a gate!"

"What?"

"Try again, Allen!"

"Stupid Beansprout"

"Guys, guys, calm down!" I intervened. "That must just mean we're closer to the Case than we thought"

"But we don't have any equipment" remarked Bookman. "And we definitely can't go back now either"

"We're close" I assured. "We should find it in a day and a half, at most. Plus, we still have a few blankets and some supplies, not forgetting the pure water sources we can easily find around here"

"Our Innocence works just fine" shrugged Lavi. "We can do it"

Everyone's hesitation was written on their faces.

"That means passing the night without any protection, though" pointed out Krory.

"We'll take watch, then" answered Klaud. "An hour each. And Lau Shimin will guard around and warn if anything comes up"

"First" called Lenalee.

"Second" instantly added Allen.

"Third" said Lavi, yawning.

"I'll take fourth" announced Bookman.

"Fifth, then" pursued Klaud, sending away her monkey.

"Call dibs on sixth" I raised my hand.

"Tche, I'll take seventh" grunted Kanda.

"I'll be eighth, then" concluded Krory.

I clapped my hands.

"Good! Now that that's settled, how about we make some fire? It'd be stupid to die from hypothermia"

"It might signal our position, baka" refuted Kanda.

"You can fight armed men, not hypothermia" I remarked. "Or we can all just cuddle"

That instantly made him retreat, and I bumped a victory fist with Lavi.

 _Can you feel any aura?_

 _It's hazy, like looking through some heavy mist or something. I can't clearly see human auras, what with all the plants and animals surrounding us, and that's not talking about the weird force field that the Case lifted around here. It's probably the same thing that's stopping Kiddo from opening a gate._

 _We'll have to be careful, then._

 _Wouldn't have it any other way._

* * *

Someone shook my shoulder, and I raised my eyes at Klaud.

"Your turn" she simply said.

"H-h-hai…" I yawned, getting up.

We switched place, and I went to sit by the small fire, gazing around. It made me wary, what with being unable to sense anyone clearly, and I bashed myself a little realizing I had become too dependent of my ability.

 _We'll have to work on that when we get back._

 _No shit._

Then, I felt it. Barely noticeable, the weird mist still clouding my aura-sensing skill, but it was there alright.

There was a screech as Lau Shimin suddenly jumped on my lap, scaring the crap out of me. The little monkey kept screeching and gazing around in fright.

The message was clear: we were surrounded.

"Everyone up!" I yelled, kicking the nearest ones.

A few seconds later, somewhat disheveled but up anyway, we were standing side by side in the middle of the little clearing, Innocence ready to be activated, gazing at the trees surrounding us with distrust.

Then, around thirty or so men popped out of the bushes, guns pointing at us and ready to shoot their deadly projectiles.

"Let's try negotiations first" proposed Lenalee quietly.

"Good idea. Anyone speaks Spanish?" I asked around.

"Let me take care of it" Lavi took a step ahead. "Err… _Hola! Como estas? Somos viajeros de Inglaterra y-"_ **(T: Hi! How are you? We're travelers from England a-)**

 _"_ _Estas tu espías?"_ barked one of them. **(T: Are you spies?)**

What he said seemed to startle Lavi, who quickly shook his head.

 _"_ _No! No se estas espías! Somos viajeros!_ Err _… buscamos un temple, muy viejo, en el medio del selva! Sabes donde es?"_ **(T: No! No, we're not spies! We're travelers! Err... we're searching for a temple, very old, in the middle of the jungle. Do you know where it is?)**

The men exchanged some glances at that, and the first one –more than probably the leader of the Little group- turned back to Lavi.

 _"_ _Y tus amigos, por qué no se hablan?"_ **(T: And your friends, why are they not talking?)**

 _"_ _No se hablas español"_ **(T: They don't speak spanish)**

"The hell are they blabbering about?" I whispered to Allen.

He just shrugged, but the movement caught the eye of the Leader, who darted his eyes at us.

I gulped, not exactly appreciating the glint in his eyes.

 _"_ _Cabello rojo… bastante raro. Danos la chica y te dejaremos pasar"_ **(T: Red hair... very rare. Give us the girl and we'll let you pass)**

At that, Lavi's traits darkened. I grabbed his hand, worried, and he glared at the Leader.

 _"_ _No estamos dando nadie. Ella esta con nosotros"_ **(T: We're not giving anything. She's with us)**

The Leader sneered at him.

 _"_ _La chica o muerte"_ **(T: The girl or death)**

 _"_ _Vete a la mierda!_ Everyone down!" **(T: Go fuck yourself!)**

Obeying, we dropped to the ground, and the men starting shooting each other.

I know, stupid.

As the bodies dropped and the Leader barked some orders, we tried to make a run for it. However, some reinforcements arrived in place, trapping us.

"Innocence?" Allen asked, eying our opponents carefully.

"Don't kill them, they're just civilians" frowned Lenalee.

"Jumper, they're the ones going to kill us" I replied. "And trust me, these ones are as bad as Akumas"

She didn't seem convinced, but didn't protest anymore.

 _Are you really going to kill them?_

 _…_ _not if I can help it. But they're going for the kill, so I won't hold back._

 _Not asking you to._

"Now!" Klaud exclaimed.

Instantly, we jumped into action. Kanda sliced, Lavi hammered, Allen slashed, Krory punched, Lenalee kicked, Klaud whipped, Bookman pierced and I just sent the closest ones crashing through the trees with my above average strength thanks to the gantlets.

A few minutes later, all was said and done, and they were all lying unconscious on the forest floor. I could see a few corpses, but most of them were still alive.

Just really beaten up, but still alive.

"Great negotiator skills, Bookboy" I snorted. "What happened?"

"He was just being a bastard" he shrugged innocently.

I knew he was hiding something, but it didn't seem really important, so I didn't prod any deeper.

"We should move, before more of them come out" said Kanda, wiping away the blood on his blade.

"It's morning anyway, by now" Allen pointed. "Let's just continue"

Seeing as no one protested, we did just that. However, as we walked away from the little battlefield, I felt a gun click behind us. Reacting instantly, I pushed Krory out of the way.

My abdomen suddenly was on fire, and I stumbled to the ground with a curse, feeling warm blood sipping through the wound.

"Fuck" I cringed, pulling the bullet out.

"Ary!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine" I waved it off. "See? It's already closing"

 _Thanks, Trickster._

 _Be more careful, would ya?_

There was a gasp, and I snapped my eyes to the man who had tried to shoot us.

My eyes turned colder, and I got back to my feet, making my way to him.

"Ary, don't-"

"Buffy was almost shot" I cut coldly. "Don't interfere"

I loomed above the now shaking man, who was staring at me with wide, frightened eyes. On his knees, so frightened, I almost felt bad for scaring him like that.

Almost.

I spread my wings, the now closed wound clearly apparent, and sent my fiercest glare at him.

 _"_ _My Dio…"_ he muttered, sweating heavily. _"_ _My Dio…"_

I placed my face inches from his, and his eyes became bloodshot.

"Boo"

He screamed, and darted through the foliage without a glance behind.

 _I swear he wet himself. You scared the poor guy to death._

 _Tche, serves him right._

Now satisfied, I went back to the others, who were all sporting more than exasperated looks.

"What?"

They just shook their heads.

* * *

"Left!"

"Got it!"

Allen sliced the snake in two, and I eyed in disdain the gigantic beast now lying in it's blood.

"It's official: I hate this place" I grunted.

"Don't we all" retorted Lavi. "Gab, you're a real jerk"

 _Tell him to stop whining like a baby._

"He's telling you to shut your trap" I traduced.

He simply rolled hi eyes.

* * *

"Ary, care-"

"Fuck! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Get 'hem off! Get 'hem off!"

As I shrieked my head off as the little beasts swarmed over me like some damn plague, it felt as if my skin was on fire. Red spots with some sorts of blister on the tops kept appearing everywhere they bit, and it hurt even more as _Archangel_ kept rejecting the little dose of poison in their nasty tiny jaws.

"Us your _Shield_!" called Lavi.

Obeying, and kind of desperate, I raised a _Shield_ over my whole body, roasting the devil's spawns. They all fall back to the ground, toasted, and I glared as the wounds disappeared with a stung.

"Fire ants" remarked Bookman. "You sat on their nest"

"Fuck my life"

* * *

"Watch out for the bees!"

I cringed as Allen started running around, pursued by an angry bunch of buzzing bees.

"Don't let them sting you!" warned Lavi.

"They're poisonous too?" asked Lenalee, worried.

"Nan, it'll just hurt like hell" the redhead shrugged.

"HELP ME!"

The white haired boy passed before us, but the black and yellow creatures never changed targets.

 _Poor kid._

 _You tell me._

* * *

After Bookman put some ointment to calm down the swelling of Allen's injuries, we were back on tracks.

Not for long, though.

"Kanda!" exclaimed Lenalee, behind us.

Turning around, it was just in time to see the he-she samurai collapsing. Something jumped off his leg, and I instantly pierced it with a feathered blade.

Scorpion.

"Bookman!" I called.

Not even looking at me, he examined the small puncture on the jerk's leg.

After a few minutes, he got up.

"We can't move him, or the poison will spread faster" he warned. "I can make an antidote with the plants around. Lavi, come"

"Hai!"

As they went deeper in the jungle, we set up our camp.

We wouldn't go any farther today.

* * *

In the morning, Kanda was back on his two feet, however forced to use Krory as a crutch. The antidote was kicking in, but from his scrunched face I could tell it more than probably hurt like hell.

For once, I've decided to keep my mouth shut.

 _You're awfully ni-_

I'd tease him when we got back.

 _Forget it, you're without any mercy._

 _So?_

 _I'm proud of you._

* * *

"Are we getting closer?" asked Klaud, wiping some sweat from her forehead.

It was hot, too hot. I barely had any clothes on but they stuck to my body like glue and _damn_ , I need some air right now.

"We should… we're close, I know it" I assured, gulping down some water. "I can't even feel your auras, and… the pull, it's stronger. We're close…"

"At least we found that waterfall on the way" grunted Lavi. "Or we'd be dead by now"

"I think I got a sunburn" moaned Allen, shielding his eyes from the sunrays piercing through the foliage.

I snickered a little. His skin, usually pale as a ghost's, was now red as my hair.

"Don't laugh, you don't know the pain of sunburns" he glared at me.

"Sucks to be you, uh?" I retorted.

"We should probably move" said Krory, gazing around. "I have a bad feeling about this place"

"Same" huffed Kanda. "Let's just go"

"This way"

* * *

I felt it, now. The pull was even stronger than before, and my impatience had reached unthinkable highs.

We were close.

So, so close.

My heart throbbed, almost painfully, and my eyes widened slightly.

 _We're here._

 _The auras… it's making me dizzy._

 _Pull back, then. Not like you can use it anyway._

As I did, I instantly felt better, and I turned to the others, excited.

"We found it! Come on!"

I darted through the vegetation, pushing everything out of the way. As they ran after me, flashes of a life that wasn't mine blinded me.

Tripping on my feet, I managed to keep my balance and kept on running.

So close.

So, so close.

I stopped running.

 _I looked around._

 _I was in a forest, surrounded by humidity and vegetation of all sort._

Something moved to my right, the leaves shifted.

 _A red-eyed frog jumped out of the tree to my right. Green eyes stared at me through the foliage. A snake pressed it's body against the ground._

It was the same…

My feet moved on their own.

 _I started walking forward, never striving from a path I however couldn't see. I had no control over my body, as if I was a mere outsider, watching through my own eyes._

I was in control, yet not really.

 _After a few minutes, I reached what seemed to be a temple. Really old, barely standing and half-crumbling under the lianas and the exotic flowers._

 _Making my way through the rubbles, careful as to not bring it to the ground because of a misplaced step, I finally reached-_

"It's here!"

I gazed at the temple, eyes wide.

It's here.

"Ary!"

"Guys, we found it!" I exclaimed giddily.

Panting, Lenalee arrived next to me. Then, I frowned.

"Where's everyone?" I asked, looking around.

"A-attacked! On the way!" she wheezed out.

"What!?"

Instantly, all giddiness disappeared, but she grabbed my arm to stop me from going back.

"They're- they're prisoners" she informed, her breath becoming more regular. "We can't u-use our Innocence… properly"

I bit my lower lip, thinking and trying to come up with a plan.

 _If we get our hands on the Case, then its effects upon the jungle should nullify._

 _Thanks._

"We find the case, then" I finally said seriously. "We find it, then go back to everyone. If they're prisoners, then going back would only be rash and stupid and we'd only end in the same predicament"

"Then let's hurry" she nodded.

With that, we turned to the temple. It seemed even more dilapidated then in the Angel's memories. However, we couldn't back out now.

"Let's go"

* * *

Carefully making our way through the rubbles threatening to fall on our heads each passing second, we finally reached the heart of the temple after what seemed like hours.

Once inside, I realized we truly couldn't use our Innocence anymore.

"Just great" I sighed.

"Where is it hidden, Ary?" asked my friend, gazing at the carved walls in wonder.

I thought for a moment, and the ruby danced before my eyes once again.

I snapped my head to the slab in the middle of the room.

"There!"

Not exactly paying attention, I ran to the flagstone and kneeled next to it.

It was old, and dusty. Grabbing each side, I lifted it from the floor without much efforts, revealing an old ruby.

"Nice!"

However, as soon as my hand touched it's surface, the room started shaking.

"A-Ary?"

A new memory practically pierced my skull, and I instantly stumbled away as the jewel literally imploded.

"Trap! The real one's hidden in the wall!"

"And you couldn't say it sooner!?" she shot back, disbelieving.

I smiled sheepishly, and a few stones started crashing around us, lifting an heavy cloud of sand.

"Come on, we have to hurry before the whole place comes down!"

"On it!"

We started searching the damn wall, trying to find some sort of dent or a trace that'd indicate the presence of the Case, and the temple shook even more on it's feeble foundations.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…"

"I got it!"

All stopped moving as Lenalee held the shining stone in her palm with a victorious smile. However, sais smile dropped quickly when the ruby started emitting a strong light.

"What in the world…"

And suddenly, it wasn't there anymore.

Dumbly, we stared at her now empty hand. Carved into her palm was now the design of the fragment.

At the same time, the sort of veil lifted, and I instantly searched for the auras of our friends. Now able to make out the whole jungle, I easily spotted them as they were trapped in what seemed a camping site, with more or less fifty armed men.

"We'll question later" I finally came back to my senses. "We've got to move _now"_

Still dumbstruck, she however found back a calm demeanor, and we both activated our Innocence.

 _You're going to explode the ceiling, aren't you?_

 _I'm to lazy to make it back the same way we went in. Sue me._

 _Oh, I will, trust me. You and your stupid ideas…_

Then, the walls crumbled and the roof fell onto our very heads.

* * *

"Our Innocence's back" muttered Krory.

"Meaning that Ary and Lenalee did it" nodded Klaud.

"We're still trapped, though" remarked Lavi, struggling a little against his bindings.

"And they've got guns at our heads" added Kanda, glaring at the closest man.

"I can open a gate, now" assured Allen, gritting his teeth. "We just have to get free first"

Their quiet conversation however gained the attention of the guerillas around, and one stepped forward. He was missing a teeth or two, and they could smell the distinct odor of cigarette from miles away.

He roughly pressed the barrel of his gun against the redhead's head.

 _"_ _Que se pasa? Mantén sus bocas cerrada!"_ he apparently ordered. **(T: What's happening? Keep your mouth shut!)**

 _"_ _Yo aconsejo que nos dejas ir"_ Lavi smiled innocently at him. _"_ _O donde se algunos problemas"_ **(T: You should let us go, or you'll get in trouble)**

The man laughed and pressed harder his weapon, earning a slight wince.

 _"_ _Qué piensas un hijo de puta como tú podría estar en tu posición?"_ he taunted. **(T: What do you think a son of a bitch like you could do in your position?)**

There was a moment of silence, before Lavi smirked back at him.

 _"_ _Yo no. Su"_ **(T: Not me. Her)**

 _"_ _Uh?"_

"Oi, asstard! Hands off my man!"

Blades embedded themselves in his back, and he slumped to the ground instantly, not dead but not far from it.

All men took a step back when a red-haired girl with _wings_ landed next to their fallen comrade, between them and their prisoners.

* * *

"Hey, Tenshi" the apprentice Bookman grinned at me.

"Miss me?" I grinned back.

 _"_ _E-esta el ángel de la muerte! Disparar, disparar!"_ **(T: I-it's the angel of death! Shoot, shoot!)**

I tilted my head to the one screaming.

 _Hey, isn't that the guy you scared to death?_

 _I think so. He doesn't seem to like me much, though._

 _Wonder why._

Apparently obeying to what seemed to be an order, the guerillas started shooting at us. However, the bullets merely bounced on my steeled wings, and a few screams echoed as Lenalee suddenly dropped in.

As she took care of them, I sliced the bindings of my friends.

After that, we started running.

* * *

As we dashed through the jungle, the armed group hot on our heels, I could tell that everyone was quickly loosing their energy, what with the horrible heat and humidity around us.

After a few more meters, we finally found the right spot to open a door to the Ark.

"Kiddo, get us out of here!" I ordered.

"Hai!"

Our Innocence back in full shape, we easily deflected the attacks despite our sudden exhaustion, and covered his back as he called forth a gate.

The door appeared, and the shooting only got worse.

Apparently, scaring dangerous and armed men currently gunning us wasn't a good idea.

 _You think so!?_

Spreading my wings once again to protect the escape, everyone quickly ran inside.

Once all had passed the door, I waved mockingly at the guerillas before stepping inside. Instantly, I dropped to the white pavement of the Ark as it closed behind me. All around, the others were sitting or lying on the ground, panting heavily.

"So… we got it?" asked Allen between two coughs.

"Y-yeah…" I confirmed. "Damn… how about we… never… do that again?"

"Hai..."

* * *

 **Yeah! Cheers for Darién Gap! So, I apologize if I massacred the Spanish language. I don't exactly speak fluently, so I used google traduction, sue me. And, once more, everything said to describe the jungle is TRUE! I've made my research, thank you very much.**

 **Question: Where do you think one of the Case Pieces is hidden?**

 **Reviews are love!**


	46. In The Heat Of The Moment

**Yeah, I got reviews sor here's the new chapter! Also, many have asked already so let me make things clear: Allen and Lenalee's couple will be... kind of complicated. Like, there'll be hints, but nothing much. I believe that, being in a war and also with what'll come next with Nea, Allen can't afford to have any sort of relationship with her. It would be to cruel for him to say "I love you" before going to the final battle knowing he'll die. Allen isn't cruel like that. So!** **Lenalee/Allen ship, but barely present!**

 **Answer: Well, let's just say that Leahcar-chan got one right! *cheers***

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"So, you're saying that the Case is now _inside_ Lenalee?!" repeated Komui, bordering on the hysterical.

"Yep" I popped the 'P'. "But don't worry. It'll come out once we get the three other fragments and the Heart together"

"But why did it do this?" asked my girl friend, eying her carved palm in curiosity.

"Without the Heart, the Case is extremely fragile, which is why it was easily broken in four pieces" I repeated Gabriel's explanation. "So, they tend to seek protection. Seeing as you broke it's current safety net, so to speak, you became the new one until we find its peers and the Innocence it's supposed to protect. You won't be able to get it out before that, though"

She nodded, and Komui rubbed his temples, apparently tired. The mission really hadn't went like planned, what with us being unable to come back as promise seeing as Allen couldn't open a gate. We passed two and a half days in there.

 _Two and a half days too much. You really had to do the big deal, uh?_

 _Eh, it was safe for thousand of years. I needed a safe place to hide it, and I was getting desperate. Sue me._

 _Tche._

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it" shrugged Reever. "How about you all go get some rest? You had a rough few days"

The idea of sleeping in a bed and not having to worry about poisonous spiders and killing plants was appealing, but I was worried at the same time. I would more than probably discover the location of the second fragment, and I was kind of concerned to see exactly where it was.

 _You sound so distrusting._

 _I lost faith at Darién Gap._

 _Touché._

::

 _There was a whistle. It sounded like a kettle forgotten on the fire._

 _I jumped back, just in time to avoid the toxic gas spit from a geyser just ahead._

 _Covering my nose to avoid breathing the dangerous chemicals, I slowly made my way through the holes in the ground, which was practically eroding under each of my step._

 _And it was hot, almost like my skin was melting._

 _There was another whistle, and I jumped on the side. Nearly loosing my balance, I let out a a shaky breath as red-orange lava bubbled a few meters down._

 _The roc suddenly disaggregate under my weight, and I plummeted towards the deadly river as flames rise around me, engulfing me in-_

::

"Fuck!"

It was even worst than the first time. However, as Gabriel muttered soothing words in the back of my mind, I managed to calm down.

The second Case had revealed itself.

 _So, Trickster? Where are we going?_

* * *

"What!?"

I winced at the volume of the voice as Komui started pacing around in a dramatic gesture, his arms wailing around in protest.

"You're saying that the second Case is in the fricking Danakil Desert!?" he repeated.

"What _now_?" grunted Kanda.

"To be honest, I have no idea either" I admitted.

I had never heard of that place before, but it sounded bad.

"Danakil Desert" Jiji took charge. "A few teams were sent there, but they never came back with _all_ the members. Most of them had died after breathing the toxic mist emanating from the geysers, or just fell to their death in lava"

"There's also a lot of military action, seeing as it's on the border lands of Eritrea and Ethiopia" pursued Reever.

"A few that came back also turned insane due to the heat" added Dap. "It's the hottest place on the whole planet, and many described it as the earthly apparition of Hell"

"Charming" I scrunched my nose.

"So… who's going?" asked Lavi.

"Well, we can't send back Lenalee, now that she's protecting the First Case" Tiedoll said. "Kanda is still under some effects of the bite, so he's not going either"

"You old geezer, I-"

I hit the back of the jerk once, sending him to dreamland.

The others sweatdropped as he slumped in the couch, unconscious.

"He's going to kill you when he wakes up" Allen pointed out.

I just shrugged.

"Lau Shimin won't be able to stand the heat" added Klaud apologetically.

"Me neither" nodded Bookman. "It's bad for my skin"

"You damn panda" grunted Lavi.

Said panda kicked him harshly, sending him flying in the bookshelves.

"So… for now, it's me, Bookboy, Kiddo and Buffy?" I resumed.

"I'm in" Sokaro's lips formed a toothy grin. "I don't want to miss out on the fun this time"

"I will come too" announced Marie.

"Err… no offense, Cherub, but you're kind of blind"

Lenalee whacked my arm for my lack of tact, but the man simply smiled at me.

"I am well aware, Ary. However, I should be able to hear the geysers before they erupt"

"And since his hearing isn't actually Innocence, it'll work like a charm" added Lavi, sitting back next to me and sending a glare at his grandfather.

"Allow us to come too"

We all turned our heads to Link and Tokusa, who had taken a step forward.

"We can use our papers to protect ourselves from the chemicals" explained the blond.

"Your magic paper can do that?" I blinked, confused.

"They're called Feathers" corrected Tokusa.

"Whatever"

"Well then, it would seem the whole team is complete" concluded Komui with a sigh. "Get ready to depart"

"Hai!"

Having learned our lesson, we left our old uniforms behind and took all of our supplies with us, not knowing when we'd be able to come back.

After that, Allen managed to open a gate at a day from our destination.

* * *

"You truly went everywhere with your Master, ne, Allen?" Lavi gazed around in wonder.

"Watch out!"

There was a small explosion, and an obliterated tarantula landed on the ground, an inch from Lavi's foot. It had jumped to his face, but Link had stopped it with a Feather.

The redhead gulped at little, quickly stepping away.

"Welcome to Africa" I joked.

* * *

We were in Djibouti, capital of the African country of the same name. Like last time, we bought last minutes supplies and decided to pass the night in the city before heading in search of the Second Case.

Feeling some heavy stares following us around, I then realized that more or less all the civilians present were watching us as we made our way through the market.

 _You look like rich travelers to them. Be careful._

 _Think we can spare some money?_

 _Hime, handing to three or four of them some money won't change the world._

 _It will for those three or four persons._

He sighed, but said no more and, diving in my pocket, I went to an old man sitting on the ground, his skin tanned by the sun and his few white hair almost falling off.

I crouched next to him and smiled as he eyed me with some sort of suspicion. Then, I handed him a few coins. He gaze at the money with surprise, before smiling back at me, revealing his four last teeth still hanging on.

 _"_ _Merci"_ **(T: Thank you)**

It was my turn to be surprised, and someone leaned over my shoulder.

"French is the official language along with Arabic" informed Lavi.

 _"_ Oh. _Pas de problème. Passez un bonne journée!"_ **(T: Oh. No problem. Have a nice day!)**

Getting back on my feet, the old man bowed deeply his head.

 _"_ _Que Dieu bénisse votre âme et votre bonté"_ **(T: May God bless your soul and your kindness)**

I simply offered another smile, but my eyes were drawn to a bunch of kids on the other side of the street.

 _Hime, don't-_

 _I can spare some more, they barely have any skin on their bones!_

However, as I took a step forward, Lavi grabbed my shoulders and turned me back to the street, before pushing me ahead.

"O-oi! Bookboy, stop it!" I protested, trying to turn back. "Come on, it'll take a second!"

"Ary" his tone was serious, but gentle. "I know you want to do well, but there are many more than this man and these kids. When you don't have anymore to give to the rest of them, you'll feel bad for days about it"

"I won't- okay, fine" I grunted, and stopped struggling. "But now, I feel bad for abandoning them"

My boyfriend muttered something under his breath, making me frown.

"What? I didn't catch that"

He sighed, before hugging me. I blinked, surprised at the sudden embrace.

"You're like a spark of light in this dark, dark world" he muttered, making me freeze. "Sometimes, I'm afraid that this spark will die and disappear to the hands of the obscurity surrounding us day and night. However, you keep fighting back, but it scares me even more because the more you push, the more it'll destroy you. You give so much of yourself to anyone who crosses your path, and I seriously wonder what'll happen when you won't have anymore to give"

I stayed silent in his embrace for a moment, before grinning.

"That won't happen" I assured. "'Cause you'll always be here to pick me up"

He let out a sharp laugh, and finally let go. I grabbed his hand in mine.

"Come on, we've got to join the others now"

 _Well… that was deep._

 _Don't mock him. I think it was sweet._

 _True, too. Committing yourself is an honorable act, but if you get too involved, it'll destroy you from the inside._

 _I'll keep that in mind. But…_

 _But?_

 _I still feel bad for the kids._

 _Idiot._

* * *

"Welcome to the Danakil Desert, a wonderful touristic area where said tourists are more than probably going to die from the heat, the toxic gas or the erupting volcanoes" I drawled, wiping away some sweat.

"Aren't you just a little ball of sunshine today?" grunted Lavi.

"So sorry, I'll cry of joy next time we walk to our potential doom" I deadpanned.

Sokaro snorted. He seemed to find me hilarious, which I was quite proud of.

"So, where too, Ary?" asked Krory.

The now familiar pull was barely present, but I could feel it nowadays as the scenery, foreign yet familiar, extended on kilometers around us.

I turned to the South.

"This way"

"You heard the lady boys" called the Marshall. "Let's move"

"I ain't a lady, Zombie-dude" I shook my head, falling in step with him. "I'm more of the dragon keeping watch"

"Yeah, right" my boyfriend rolled his eye. "You're more of a Banshee than a dragon"

"Really? Well, Banshee are cool too…"

That made the dark-skinned man laughed.

"I've said it before Little Girl, and I'll say it again: you're weird"

"I'll take that as a compliment"

"She's not weird, she's insane" scoffed Tokusa, just behind us.

"That too" I agreed. "But then again, aren't we all? I mean, who in their right mind would come here willingly?"

"Touché" huffed Allen, turning red again under the unforgiving rays.

"We're all mad here" I chanted. "I'm mad. You're mad. We're entirely bonkers, but let me tell you a secret: all the best people are"

"Cheshire Cat?" Lavi snorted.

"He's more than probably the only cat I'll tolerate" I shrugged.

"That's right, you're allergic to these things" recalled Sokaro, grinning at the memory of my sneezing fit when Headquarters was attacked.

"That's pathetic" snorted Tokusa.

"Funny, I was going to say the same about you" I retorted without missing a beat.

He glared, and I made a peace sign with a mocking grin.

And thus began our journey in the hottest desert in the world.

* * *

"Right"

We all stepped to the left, and there was a whistle before the geyser sent it's toxic fumes.

Covering our noises and mouths with the Feathers created by the Thirds and Link, we passed through without much trouble.

"Ahead"

We stopped, letting another eruption take place before pursuing on our way.

"Left"

Obeying once more to Marie's command, we jumped to the right.

* * *

"We have… to take… shelter…" I panted. "We can't… go on… with this… heat…"

"A… greed" nodded Link, in the same state.

"It's… reaching the… 111 F°…" informed Lavi. "Any more… and we'll risk… dying from hyper… termia…"

After a few more minutes, me managed to find some shade under a pile of gigantic rocks. It wasn't fresh per se, but it was better than in plain sun.

"Pussies" grunted Sokaro, apparently just fine.

"Go jump in the lava or something…" I huffed.

He just laughed.

Bastard.

* * *

The first night fall quickly, and I shivered slightly.

If the day was hot as hell, the night was cold as fricking Antarctica. Well, in our bare clothing, at least.

However, not wanting to risk some sort of accident –like a volcanic eruption-, we stayed cleared from the lava sources and the geysers. Plus, not wanting to signal our location, we didn't lighten up a fire, seeing as it would be easily spotted on this dry land.

But, I didn't want to be cold the whole night either. So, without any more ceremonies, I settled myself comfortably between Lavi's leg, leaning on his chest.

He chuckled, before closing his arms around me.

Tokusa eyed us, before shaking his head, which made me grin.

"Jealous, Kermit?" I called his way.

He blinked a few times, wrapping his head around the new nickname.

"W-what did you call me!?"

"You hair" I gestured lazily. "It's green, like Kermit's. Even though that frog is more freaky than anyone..."

"Has she gone delirious from the heat already?" asked Link, passing glasses of water.

"I feel like my brain melted and became Jell-O" I admitted, rubbing my temples.

"Not like there's much to melt anyway" grunted Tokusa.

"Hey!"

I tried to go at him to whack his head, but Lavi was holding on tight and wouldn't let me go. In the end, too tired, I gave up and settled back.

"So… who takes first watch?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"I'll take the whole night" announced the Marshall.

None of us had gone crazy enough to protest as a maniac glint lighted his eyes.

* * *

We woke up very early next morning, hoping to use the normal heat to cover as much ground as we could.

So we walked. As I lead the group and Marie guided us through the geysers and the chemical mists, the rest kept an eye out for any movement from the military forces we had heard about.

The ground started shaking, and an heavy black smoke escape from a mountain not too far away.

"An eruption" stated Allen. "We should put more distance between the volcano and us"

"Good idea" nodded Lavi.

However, I couldn't take my eyes off the shaking mount. Something… something…

"Fuck!"

That cry gained my attention and I turned my head to the rest of the group, only to see them running back to my position.

"What's happening?" I frowned.

"Military" simply said Tokusa, gritting his teeth. "Coming straight at us"

"So, killed by the African forces or killed by a volcanic eruption?" I pondered. "Aren't we just a lucky bunch"

"Where's the Second Case, Ary?" asked Krory.

I closed my eyes, trying to locate it despite the ground shaking even harder and the oncoming armed group.

After a few seconds, I finally found the pull, and turned around to follow it… only to stop a step farther.

::

 _The roc suddenly disaggregate under my weight, and I plummeted towards the deadly river as flames rise around me, engulfing me in their suffocating heat._

 _I managed to stop my fall by grabbing the roc wall. However, the fragment didn't have as much luck and landed straight into the fire. After a few seconds where it floated above the liquid formation, it sank, taken away by the slow current of the lava._

::

"Ary!"

I snapped my eyes open, and it took me a few seconds to focus on Lavi, just before me. Shaking my head to gain back my senses, I then realized what this meant.

"The fragment…"

"What's happening?" he pressed. "Where is it?"

 _"_ The volcano" I answered, still a little out of it. "It's in the volcano"

There was a moment of silence.

 _Err… oops?_

 _Trickster, I'm going to hit you so hard you'll still feel it in the next century._

We quickly devised a plan. Seeing as we needed the Case, entering in the Volcano was the only solution. So, we divided the group in two. While Link, Tokusa, Sokaro and Marie stayed behind to hold up the military, Lavi, Allen, Krory and I made our way to the fuming mountain.

Lavi, so that he could record.

Allen, so that he could open a gate and get us out of there pronto once we got the damn fragment.

Krory, because he was more resilient than any of us.

As we made our towards the volcano, I stared with wariness at the smoke now hiding the sun. I'd be glad if it didn't meant almost-instant-death.

Explosions echoed far behind, but we didn't look back.

* * *

Once at the base of the volcano, I fought back the urge to scream in frustration. The time it'd take us to climb and it would already erupt.

 _Stay calm, Ary. Can't you feel it? The Second Case is closer, now. It'll more than probably be rejected during the eruption._

I let out a deep breath.

"What do we do now?" asked Allen.

"We wait" I answered. "Trickster said it should be in the lava when it erupts"

"That's nice and all, but how are we going to grab it?" replied Lavi.

"How should _I_ know?" I huffed.

The ground shook again and being so close to the source sent us rolling in the dirt. Then, everything exploded. The mountain spitting it's deadly contents, my wings struggled to keep up.

It burned. Really, really bad.

"We're too close!" I said, gritting my teeth. "If the Second Case comes out now, my Innocence will stop working and we'll be barbequed!"

"Let's move now, then!"

As Lavi extended his hammer to allow us a quick escape, I felt my heart throbbing.

 _Damn it._

I turned back to the mountain. I could feel the heat literally melting my skin, which wasn't a fun experience, might I add, but I knew it was there, coming down at us.

After a few more second, there was a glint in the lava.

"It's there!" I yelled. "Guys, it's t- fuck!"

I instantly backed away as a few drops landed on my arms. It healed instantly, but _damn_.

"We can't stay here, Ary! We're going to get killed!" Lavi exclaimed, pulling me away.

"But the Case-"

"We'll search for it later, now come on!"

Knowing he was right despite all, I ignored the call of the the Heart's protection and started running along with the others.

Then, I realized that we were missing someone.

"Buffy!"

Spinning around, it was just in time to see the man using his vampire-like speed to run up the flaming mountain, towards the fragment.

The ground shook once again, and more lava came out in one spurt.

Engulfing our friend.

I stared, horrified, barely aware that the redhead had lifted me from the ground.

Was Buffy… dead?

It hit me like a truck.

"KRORY!"

* * *

Everything had happened very fast. We had managed to find a shelter from the explosions and debris as the volcano spilled it's anger upon the earth, but I couldn't forget the sight that had occurred sooner.

When everything finally calmed down, I still wasn't able to talk.

He was dead.

Krory was dead.

And so… so _stupidly,_ at that.

 _Hime, he-_

 _He's dead. He's fucking dead! How can he be fucking dead!?_

 _Hime, he's-_

 _It's my fault! If I hadn't guided them so close-_

 _ARY!_

 _WHAT!?_

 _He's not dead!_

My heart missed a beat.

 _Uh?_

 _He's alive! Try to sense him._

By now frowning, I sent my aura around, searching for his rose-scented one. After a few seconds, I managed to spot him. It was weak, but present.

"He's alive!" I blurted out.

"Ary!?" I had startled Allen.

"Krory!" I repeated, getting back on my feet. "He's alive, I can sense him! Come on!"

We ran back towards the now calm volcano, it's lava already solidifying as the smoke cleared the sky.

"Ary, if you can sense him, then that means he must have gotten the fragment!" Lavi suddenly realized.

 _Which is why he's still alive._

 _How-_

 _Krory must have grabbed it before being engulfed by the lava, therefore becoming its safety net, as you put it. You might think they're just some parts of a container, but the fragments are actually another form of Innocence, destined to protect, but also to be protected. It goes both ways, which is why it saved him just as he saved it._

"I found him!"

At Allen's cry, we changed directions, and found the man crawling out from an hardened lava river.

"Hey…" he greeted weakly.

"YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?"

He just smiled at my outburst, before blacking out.

I sighed, relieved, and the white-haired boy placed an hand on my shoulder.

"I'll get him back on the Ark" he said. "Lavi and you go help out the others"

"Roger that"

* * *

When we finally reached the four others, there wasn't much to do, though. All had apparently been taken of rather easily.

"What happened?" asked Marie, probably having heard my scream from sooner.

"Krory fell in the lava, but he's still alive" resumed Lavi. "And he got the Second Case"

"Wait, how can he still be alive?" asked Tokusa, confused.

I repeated what Gabriel had said sooner and, at that moment, another gate opened next to us. Allen passed his head.

"Is anyone else injured?" he asked around.

"We're all fine, Kiddo" I assured. "So… let's go back? I'm starting to get hungry"

That earned some laughs, and we went back onto the Ark, leaving behind us a now silent volcano, some fuming lands and a very destroyed and confused military legion.

* * *

 **I know it might sound weird for someone to survive a little swim in a lava river but hey! It's Krory we're talking about. You know, our oh-so-dear vampire that survived Jasdevi in a blood form, quite literally? So yeah, he's alive and became the Host of the Second Case.**

 **Question: Okay, it's kind of like a poll, but I need as many opinions as I can. You can answer even after this chapter, of course.**

 **So, If I was to write a new fanfiction, for which universe would it be:**

 **A) D. Gray-Man (yes, again) ;-)**

 **B) Fairy Tail**

 **C) Tokyo Ghoul**

 **D) Other?**

 **Love you all, dear readers! Reviews please!**


	47. Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

**So sorry! This chapter is so short compared to others, I feel so bad... *cries anime tears***

 **Answer: I've got one vote for Magi (awesome, I've got to admit) and one for another D. Gray-Man! And yes, yes I am willing to write another *hides the nine or ten other D. Gray-Man fic in the back with an angelic smile***

 **Also, thank you CherryTree230, I'm glad you like it so much!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A week passed without anything more. Krory had recovered from his injuries, his right palm now carved in the same fashion as Lenalee's, and it had been decided that the two wouldn't leave the Ark until further advance in our quest. Seeing as the Noahs might very well be hiding in the shadows, just waiting to grab them, it would have been unwise to send them outside.

However, as said sooner, a week had passed since we came back. A week without any memory or even some sort of instinct to guide our next step.

Which annoyed me greatly.

 _It'll come, Ary. You just have to be patient._

 _Is it because you built back some of the barriers?_

 _No. The ones Wisely brought down were created by the memory-spell and therefore only blocked the memories. The ones I lifted are protecting all of your mind, yet aren't as strong._

I sighed, playing with my food. I had quickly found back my appetite, but I wasn't in the mood right now.

I gazed around. I could tell that, despite everyone's cheery faces, they were wary too.

Tense, insecure, waiting for the next sign.

We had already faced the most dangerous jungle in the world and the hottest desert on the planet. What would come next?

"So, how're you feeling, sweetie? Not to your liking?" Jeryy popped in with a frown.

"It's delicious as always" I assured with a slight smile. "I'm just a little tired, that's all"

"Then get back your strength!" he replied, posing another bowl of porridge before me. "Eating it the solution to all of your problems, no matter what people say!"

I chuckled, and dig in despite the twisting of my stomach.

"You're right. Thanks, Gusto"

"Any time, Ary-chan!" he beamed at me.

With that, he went back to the kitchen. As soon as he turned his back, though, I eclipsed myself from the dinning hall and decided to take a turn to the library.

* * *

When I got there, Tewaku was already deep in _The Complete Fairy Tales_ by Hans Christian Andersen.

"Hey"

She hummed quietly in greeting, turning a page, deep in her lecture. I smiled a little, before heading for the shelves. The first time we came here, I wanted to explore the place, but Jasdevi popped in and I never had the chance after that.

"Have you tried _The Three Musketeers_?" she asked, never looking away from her book.

"Yeah, it was a good one, but I preferred _Oliver Twist_ " I answered. "Anything else to recommend?"

" _The Time Machine_ by H.G Wells" she replied without missing a beat.

Knowing I'd only find it on the higher shelves, I climbed the ladder not far from there before searching for the author.

"H.G… H.G…" I searched for the name. "Ah! Got-"

::

 _It was cold._

 _I couldn't make out the sun through the snow storm._

 _The wind was getting wild, pushing me around like some sort of ragdoll as I struggled to keep my balance on the ice surface._ _Pulling higher my collar to cover my red nose, I leaned on the stick I had found sooner and gazed at the road ahead of me._

 _Rare were those who tried this difficult task, but I was determined._

 _For a moment, the wind died down, revealing the mountain I was heading for. The top was still hidden, though, and all disappeared the next second in the swirling snow, like a mirage._

 _But I was determined. So, I started walking._

 _The ice cracked, and my breath caught in my throat as I started falling an-_

::

"Ary!"

The snowflakes still dancing furiously before my eyes, I barely realized I truly _was_ falling. Everything seemed kind of hazy, my head was spinning as I felt the ground come closer by the second.

Then, something –or rather someone- caught me, and green replaced white.

Blinking hard to get back to reality, I pinched my arm as harshly as I could. The sting made its work, and I finally got back control over my crazy senses.

"Ary! Are you okay?"

I tilted my head at Tewaku, who was standing next to me with wide eyes.

Wait. Standing? But I was lying down...

I blinked in surprised at Madarao, who had apparently caught me.

"Hey, _Mystère_ " I recognized. "Fancy seeing you here. Nice catch, by the way"

He nodded slightly, and put me down carefully, as if I was about to break or something. However, the effects of the vision I just had were already gone.

"I'm fine" I assured the blonde girl with a smile. "It's just another memory that came up"

"You know where the Third Case is?" asked her brother in his usual calm demeanor.

"Well…"

 _Trickster?_

 _You won't like it._

 _Shoot._

 _…_ _Everest._

 _…_ _I beg your pardon?_

 _Mount Everest._

"Damn it"

* * *

"So, the Third Case has been located on top of Mount Everest, in Tibet" informed Reever.

This time, everyone knew what he was talking about, and I could tell all thought the same thing.

 _Fuck?_

 _You really want us to come back as corpses, don't you?_

 _Hey, in my defense, I wasn't exactly expecting to go back for these, alright? Plus, the natural protection got worse through the millenniums, not really something I can control._

"Mind telling Gab he's an ass?" deadpanned Lavi.

"Oh, I'm telling him alright" I grunted, rubbing my temples. "So, mind briefing us on the place, so that we know what to avoid?"

Johnny stepped forward, his eternal notepad in hands.

"The weather will be your primordial enemy" he started, clearing his throat. "It can reach the -16F°, maybe more if the wind is in the game. As for said wind, well, you'll have to be careful, seeing as it's speed can get passed 100mph"

"You also have the crevices too look out for" pursued Dap. "They're practically invisible due to snow bridge building above and covering it's entrance, but don't be fooled: too much weight and it'll open again. They can be as deep as the length of a football pitch, so you really ought to watch your step"

"Then comes the avalanches" added Reever, checking his notes. "And rock or ice falls. Deadly, as you can imagine. Usually easy to avoid if you take the right path. Also, other climbers can very well be your downfall –no pun intended-. If the group is too big, only one has to slip and all the others fall with him, or her"

"Gabriel really chooses the most welcoming places, uh?" huffed Allen. "Oh, and Nea's calling him an idiot"

 _What!? He's the fucking idiot! He's the one who proposed that hideout in the first place!_

"He's pointing fingers at Nea" I replied.

The others laughed a little at that.

"We have to choose a team as small as possible" remarked Klaud, bringing back the conversation on tracks.

"So, it's still me, Kiddo and Bookboy" I recalled. "Marie, seeing as you can hear the avalanches and these sorts of things-"

"Of course"

"Wait, wait, who said I wanted to come?" drawled the redhead. "Why don't the old panda go? He's a Bookman too…"

"It's bad for my hair" simply answered his grandfather.

I snorted at that while Lavi cried in despair.

"Kanda, you were sent there to retrieve an Innocence fragment once, were you not?" remembered Komui.

"Fine" he grunted.

"I'll go to" informed Tiedoll with a smile. " _Maker Of Eden_ should be able to protect us from the snowstorms and such if the need ever comes up"

"That'll be it, then" cut Jiji. "Any more and you'll run unnecessary risks"

I sighed, a little annoyed.

 _First a jungle… then a fucking volcano… and now the Mount Everest._

 _Oi, Nea proposed that one._

 _You're still the one who brought it there, though. Please, tell me we won't actually have to go to the top._

 _Eh, I know as much as you do._

 _Otherwise said, you don't actually know anything. Just great._

* * *

Seeing as Allen had taken us to Baghmati –was I glad he visited almost the whole world because of Cross now?-, we easily found more warm clothes.

Lots of them.

We also had a special bodysuit made by our dear scientists that would keep the body warmth too.

So, it's heavily clothed but ready for the grand mountain that we started climbing the Everest.

* * *

None of us was talking, too occupied to keep our breath regular. Tiedoll didn't seem too faze by all of this, even though I knew he only wanted to sit and draw something –which is why we put him in the middle-. I could tell Lavi was tempted to use _Hiban_ to melt some of the snow, but that'd just be a really bad idea. Marie was keeping his ear out for any sign of an oncoming avalanche, just behind me as I lead the group once more. Kanda was the last one, easily keeping up despite Allen just before him, who I could tell was shuddering rather violently.

All in all… it was a long walk.

* * *

God, I hate walking. I hate climbing. I hate the cold too. And I'm hungry.

 _Stop whining, would you?_

 _How about you take over, uh? Then we'll see who's whining._

 _No thanks._

"Asshole" I muttered through my teeth.

I could barely feel the tip of my fingers anymore, the only thing assuring me they were still there being the warmth emitted by the bodysuit.

"Lavi, don't move!"

We all stopped, and I looked back at the redhead. He was frozen in spot, a feet in the air, barely daring to breath.

"There's a crevice under you" warned Marie. "Very deep. You have to walk around"

All in all… it was a very stressing and tiring walk.

* * *

I gritted my teeth, fists clenched so tightly I don't think the blood was passing anymore.

We were all under _Maker of Eden_ as a damn avalanche crashed upon us. The whole thing was shaking, but still standing, but I was worried it wouldn't last, seeing as we were now closer to the Third Case. Already, Allen couldn't call forth a gate, and I had let go of my aura-sensing not so long ago.

There was another shake, and I closed my eyes.

* * *

"Shit!"

Jumping to the right, I managed to avoid the oncoming block of ice, but my foot slipped and I started falling.

The rope around my wait was the sole thing that kept me from dying, and it's with a heart beating way too fast that the others managed to pull me up.

"Never… again…" It was hard to breath.

"You okay? I forgot you were afraid of heights…" Lavi scratched the back of his head, and I could tell he was grinning sheepishly despite his whole face being covered.

"A bird scared of heights? That's pathetic" taunted Kanda.

"Shut it, Jerkface"

* * *

"Freeze!"

Knowing it wasn't just a really bad pun, we all obeyed Marie's command.

"We're currently standing above a very bid crevice" he announced calmly. "I couldn't hear it until our weight made some of the snow fall inside. We have to be very careful and not make any rash move or-"

"Atchoo!"

Allen's sneeze made the ground actually crack.

 _He fucking sneeze._

" _Putain!_ " **(T: Fuck!)**

We plummeted in the abyss of the snowy earth.

* * *

 _Hime, wake up._

At Gabriel voice, I frowned a little. Waking up? But I was-

Oh, my eyes were closed.

Opening them slowly, I was very well aware of the headache hammering my skull. Slowly sitting up, I then realized that everyone had fallen upon one another, me being at the very bottom of the damn pile.

"Get off!"

Crawling out of there, the boys all rolled off, groaning and cursing.

"Damn it, Beansprout" spat Kanda. "You just had to sneeze there and then, uh?"

"Hey, it's not like I could control it, Ba-Kanda!" protested the white-haired boy.

"Take it down a notch, would ya?" I snapped. "Damn, I've got a nasty headache…"

 _Taking care of it._

 _Bless you._

"Everyone alive?" I then asked, getting back on my feet and dusting off the snow.

"I think so" confirmed Tiedoll, looking around.

"I think I dislocated my shoulder" grunted Lavi.

"Let me see"

Crouching next to him, I grabbed his shoulder and examined for a second.

Then, I popped it back.

"Fuck!"

"There, all healed"

"You're merciless, Tenshi" he whimpered, cradling his now non-injured arm.

I just patted his head.

"It would seem we are in some sort of cave" remarked Marie.

Looking around, the familiarity only got worse all at once.

::

 _The ice cracked, and my breath caught in my throat as I started falling and everything turned black for a moment._

 _When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the cold floor of some sort of cave._

 _I found it._

 _I finally found the perfect spot. Placing the fragment inside the ice wall, I then climbed back out._

::

"It's here" I breathed out, gazing around frenetically as the pulled suddenly became stronger. "It's in there, in one of the walls!"

My call seemed to bring some relief, but then, they realized it meant no more Innocence. So, we started searching.

* * *

After minutes that were more than probably hours, there was finally a gasp from Lavi.

"Found it!"

We quickly gathered around and, looking closer, I realized with annoyance that, over the years, more ice had formed upon the fragment, trapping it under many layers of solidified water.

"I'll take care of it!" grinned the redhead.

Pulling out his hammer, he hit the surface.

The earth practically growled, making us still in spot.

He quickly put it back to his belt.

"Or not" I deadpanned.

"Step away" huffed Kanda, pushing us behind.

Taking _Mugen_ , he started hitting the wall. The hit, more gentle and fine than Lavi's hammer, didn't provoke any sort of mountain wrath.

"I think we're going to be here for a while" remarked Allen, settling down. "Anyone hungry?"

* * *

We passed a whole day down there, Kanda stopping his digging only to rest for a few hours, eat some or go take a leak farther in the cave.

 _You truly have an awful tongue, you know that?_

 _You're not exactly a role model._

 _True, true._

I scrubbed my hands together to gather some more warmth in the bodysuit. I was feeling really tired, but we agreed not to sleep more than a few hours, for any more could send us in some sort of cryogenic state and we might die in our very sleep.

 _Charming._

 _Isn't it?_

I stifled a yawn. What I wouldn't give for a warm bed right now…

My heart throbbed, and I jumped on my feet. My sudden movement startled the others and Lavi, who I was leaning on, gave a frightened yelp. Ignoring them, I went to Kanda's side. He was still digging, but he was more close than ever. A few more hits and-

The ice cracked, and the gem finally appeared.

"Finally" I breathed out.

The he-she samurai extended his hand to take it but, at the same time, the whole cave started shaking even more violently than before.

"Avalanche!" warned Marie. "We'll be buried!"

"Kanda, the Case!" I exclaimed.

Not really thinking, he grabbed the fragment. There was a flash of light, and _Maker of Eden_ was suddenly upon us, stopping the snow from falling onto our head.

"Allen, a gate!"

"Right!"

We jumped through as soon as the door appeared, and some snow landed on the pavement next to us.

But… we did it.

We had the Third Case.

* * *

 **When we say that it's Nea's idea, it simply means that when Gabriel hid the Heart and the four fragments of the Case, Nea was still forming a plan to become the new Millennium Earl -which only took place 45 years or so before the original storyline, if you recall-. Nea and Gab are friends, after all, so he was bound to help at some point.**

 **Also, to clear things up: Nea doesn't know where the Cases are hidden. He just gave some ideas and advices here and there, so only Gabriel, AKA Ary, knows where they are, more or less.**

 **Question: Who do you think will be the Host of the last Piece?**

 **Also, the poll for my next story is still up!**

 **Reviews, pretty please!**


	48. Taking On The Tower

**Eh, I'm getting so many reviews suddenly! I'm so happy, you guys are all so awesome! Also, cheers once more for Leahcar-chan who, as said in a previous chapter, found out the position of the last fragment.**

 **Answer: Well, guess you'll discover in this chapter, uh?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ary! Ary!"

"What is it?" I asked, sipping on my hot chocolate.

"Come, quick!" Timothy pressed.

"But-"

"Quick!"

As he pulled me behind, I've decided to ask questions later and ran with him to the room that had been transformed into a lab for our dear scientists.

* * *

When we got there, everyone was already present.

"What's going on?" I frowned.

"Asian Branch is under attack"

It took me a few seconds to process the information.

"T-the Asian Branch? By who? Why?"

"Well, we couldn't possibly get our hands on all the equipment here, so Bak handed some to us" Komui answered, frowning too. "But Apocryphos heard of it. The Asian Branch is currently under siege by Central"

"We're afraid the action will get the attention of the Noahs, though" added Reever. "So, your mission is to evacuate their Headquarters safely and quickly while protecting them"

"You're going now" concluded Komui. "Go!"

"Hai!" we saluted.

Without loosing a second, Allen opened a gate and we passed through, except for Lenalee, Kanda and Krory. If there was the slightest chance that the Noahs might show up, then we couldn't risk getting one of them captured because of the Cases.

* * *

When we showed up, all the scientists were already gathered around the gate. When he saw us stepping out, Bak ran to meet us.

"Is everyone here?" I asked.

"No, many went to the other bunkers" he shook his head. "We couldn't all fit here"

"Okay. Cupcake, _Mystère_ , Doll and Kermit, you go help Nasturtium to hold the siege" I ordered.

There was a moment of silence.

 _The nicknames, Hime._

 _Oops._

"Link, Madarao, Tewaku and Tokusa, you go help For to hold the siege as long as you can" I traduced, somewhat sheepishly. "Allen, show them the way. Sokaro, Tiedoll and Klaud, you go for some back up"

That finally got them moving, and they quickly followed the scientist. I turned to Bak once again.

"How many other bunkers are here?" I then asked.

"Two"

"Okay. Miranda, Timothy, you guys help evacuate this one. In the meantime, Rikei will lead Marie and Bookman to the nearest bunker. Rohfa, you'll guide Lavi and I to the farthest one"

"H-hai!"

All started moving, and Lavi and I ran outside, following the girl in the hallways. As soon as the doors closed, though, Lavi snorted.

"What?"

"You wonder why we ask you to take the lead yet you become a real general each and every time there's a situation" he replied.

"I don't…"

I trailed off. I _did_ just take command of everyone but… why did none of them asked what the hell I was doing? I mean, even the Marshalls listened, for God's sake!

 _It's instinctive for them. Their Innocence reacts to yours, and you can influence its will because of that bond. Plus, you tend to influence the auras around too, which is why they actually listen to you._

 _Wow. No pressure at all._

 _Don't worry, Hime. I got your back._

 _I know you do._

* * *

When we finally reached the bunker, I was glad to see that it wasn't full like the one we had arrived in. As we started evacuating the thirty or so scientists, though, the whole building shook, and the earth growled.

"The barriers broke down!" Rohfa exclaimed, worried. "They're getting in!"

"No they aren't" I assured, trying to keep everyone calm. "The Marshalls are taking care of it. Now move, people, come on!"

We roamed the hallways, fast but silent. We were approaching the room with the gate, but I could feel the dozen of auras swarming inside despite the Marshalls, the Thirds –I'll put Link in that group- and Allen.

Accelerating the pace somewhat, I felt the new presence almost too late.

Almost.

"Lavi!"

" _Hiban!"_

He burned the whole hallway to a crisp, but I knew our enemy had escaped.

"Noah" I answered my friend's silent question. "The one that looks like a penguin"

"I'll take care of him, you get them out of here" the redhead ordered.

I frowned at that.

"You're not allowed to interfere, _Bookman_ " I recalled firmly. "If you take him on your own-"

"I think it's too late for this crap, _Exorcist_ " he retorted in the same tone. "We're in this together now, so just get out of here, would you?"

I was about to protest but, feeling the Noah slowly coming back, I let it go and gestured for the rest of the bewildered group to follow me.

"We're almost here" I assured them.

Then, I shot one last glance at the redhead, who simply waved, before leaving.

* * *

When we finally got to the room, we found Marie and Bookman keeping guard.

"Pass through the gate, we got this" I ordered to the scientists.

None of them protested, of course, but Rohfa lingered behind.

"P-please be careful!" she squeaked out.

"Sure" I patted her head. "Now go, we'll see you when we get back"

"H-hai!"

With that, she left.

Bookman eyed me with a blank expression.

"Where's Lavi?"

"Fighting a Noah" I answered honestly. "I'm going back, now, he-"

"I'll go" he cut.

Before I could oppose to the idea, he disappeared. Letting out an annoyed huff, I turned to Marie.

"The first and second bunkers have fully been evacuated" he assured. "You said the Noahs were here?"

"Yeah. I'll go warn the others to fall back. There's no way we can keep the branch now, so we got to back out while we still can. Be on your guard and ready to take off" I instructed.

"Hai!"

* * *

Flying in the hallways towards the other's position, I nearly got shot in the head by a flying candle. Landing on the floor, I raised my eyes to meet Road's, who was sitting on that damned pumpkin umbrella and smiling sweetly at me.

"You missed" I stated fatly.

"The others won't" she assured.

More were sent my way, but I easily deflected them with my wings, and _Shield_ sent them back to their owner. Instantly, she made them disappear with a scowl.

"Not so easy when I'm not a chained down wreck, uh?" I taunted. "Now that I think about it, we didn't truly fought since we met back in the Rewinding Town, did we? I mean, the last time was in that dream world you created…"

"You've grown stronger" she narrowed her eyes. "But not enough!"

As I sent back all the candles, I could feel her unease grow. Seeing as she couldn't use her dreams on me because of Gabriel's presence, she was at a clear disadvantage.

 _"_ _Heaven's Damnation!_ "

She stiffened, her eyes turning glassy, then fell from the umbrella and crashed on the floor.

"Lady Road!" screamed Lero, flying to her side. "Damn Exorcist, what have you done- Lero!?"

"What I had to do" I replied coldly. "Be glad I haven't used the other one"

A faint smile stretched the girl's lips.

 _Armor!_

I made my armor appear, and there was a slight hiss from behind. Turning around, I found Tyki, grabbing his burned hand.

"Still using those cheap tricks?" he grunted.

"Because a sneak attack is so much better" I retorted, falling in a defensive stance.

"What have you done to Road?" he asked, tone icy.

"Why don't you find out?" I proposed. " _Hell's Salvation!"_

His golden eyes opened wide, and he was sent crashing into a pillar.

 _Err, Trickster? Was it supposed to do that?_

 _Behind!_

Ducking low, I sent a bunch of feathered blades at my second attacker, and one hit his shoulder. Falling back, I realized it was Sheril. He must have pulled Tyki out of the way before my attack could reach.

I repressed a shiver at the crazy expression on the man's face as he pulled out the weapon, blood dripping and his pupils dilating.

 _Gab… He's_ really _freaking me out._

 _I think he's a_ little _possessive of Road._

"My… Road…" he whispered. "My Road… What… have you done… to my Road… My… Road… What have you done!? Give her back! My Road, my Road, my Road!"

 _A LITTLE?_

"She's still alive" I assured. "This attack doesn't kill"

"Give her back… give her back!"

He launched himself at me with full intents to kill. Letting out an ungodly yelp as he nearly hit his mark, he then disappeared. Instantly, I jumped in the air, but was sent back to the ground rather harshly by a hit in the back.

"Ow…"

"GIVE HER BACK!"

"Fuck!"

Rolling aside, I avoided his oncoming fist, and the ground exploded under the strength of the blow that nearly hit me.

 _HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!_

 _GET YOUR FUCKING SWORD!_

 _"_ _Silversword!"_

Feeling the weight of the blade in my hands made me feel more at ease, and I parried the next attack. He bared his teeth my way as he retracted his arm, deeply cut and more of his blood dripping.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Tyki watching everything unfold with his arms crossed over his chest.

 _All he needs is the popcorn._

 _Ary, so not the time!_

"The hell are you doing?" I snapped his way. "Standing aside like that, think I can't handle the both of you?"

 _Don't annoy the crazy psychopath!_

He shrugged with a slight smirk.

"With Sheril in this state, I'm not interfering. I might die too"

"All that for Road… Is he a fucking pedophile?" I dropped my stance, stunned.

"She's his daughter" he replied, not really caring. "Adoptive, at least"

"I'm honestly freaked out by you people" I sweatdropped.

 _FOCUS!_

Raising my sword, I blocked in time Sheril's strings that tried to attach themselves to my body, before avoiding his feet coming at my face.

"My Road, my Road! Give me back my Road!" he snarled.

He kicked me roughly in the guts, and I stumbled into the nearest wall, breath cut short. I watched in horror as he ran at me, fully ready to deliver the final blow. Tyki's attention seemed to snap back to reality as his peer made his way at me. Apparently, they still weren't allowed to kill me yet, a rule that Sheril seemed to have forgotten.

I swung the blade around to ward him off, but it was no use. The both of them froze in tracks as his hand stopped merely centimeters away from my neck, and-

 _Wait. Are they… crying? Trickster?_

 _That means one of theirs is dead._

 _Road is still alive, though, so who- the penguin dude! Lavi and Bookman must have defeated him!_

I watched with wonder the tears streaming down their faces. It was weird, to say the least. But, before I could react upon it, Sheril and Tyki backed away. The eldest picked Road up, before running away with her in his arms.

Mikk shot me a look, and a cold chill ran down my spine as he disappeared too.

 _What just happened?_

 _They retreated. Fetch the others and get the fuck out._

 _On it._

* * *

"Oi!"

I dropped next to the Marshalls. They didn't seem to have any trouble defending the entrance, but I knew it wouldn't work for much longer.

"What's happening?" asked Klaud. "We were fighting some Noahs and they-"

"One of them has been killed, they retreated" I resumed. "But Apocryphos is coming. We have to go now"

They nodded, and Tiedoll activated his _Maker of Eden_ , effectively defending our own retreat.

"Guys, let's move!" I called towards the Thirds, Allen and For, farther away.

After a moment of hesitation, they followed the Marshalls outside, but the guardian deity wouldn't budge. The white-haired boy tried to talk to her, but she kept refusing. I gestured for Allen to go, and went to her side.

"Nasturtium, we've got to go now!" I insisted.

"I am to defend the base" she gritted her teeth, her arm-blades glinting.

"You are to live so you'll be able to preserve Bak's life!" I snapped back.

She clenched her jaw tighter and an explosion shook the white vines surrounding us.

"You dying here will prove nothing!" I poked her roughly. "This base is lost, but surviving now will allow you to take it back later, when you'll have the opportunity, strength and necessary means to achieve it. So, swallow your God damned pride and move it, for fuck's sakes!"

The woman gave me a startled look, then glanced back at the entrance by which the intruders were trying to come in, before letting out an annoyed sigh.

Her arms turned back to their usual.

"Alleluia" I huffed. "Now come on! Tiedoll-sensei, let's go!"

"Hai, hai" he smiled calmly at me.

As if not really bothered by our current situation, he deactivated his Innocence, and we ran as fast as we could as Central's watchdogs swarmed inside like cockroaches.

* * *

After a few minutes of full sprint, we reached the room by which we came in first. When we arrived, Allen, Lavi and Bak were waiting for us. I saw them relax their stances somewhat at our arrival, and I grabbed the redhead's hand, squeezing it tightly.

 _He's fine, Hime. Just go._

"Let's leave"

We passed the gate, and it closed behind us. Once inside, I exchanged a glance with Tiedoll-sensei as dozens of terrified scientists sat around us. We had achieved our mission, but the outcome wasn't that much better: the Asian Branch had fallen and, now, the Order fully was under Michael's command.

 _It's okay, Ary. It's almost done. One Case, the Heart, and all will be over._

 _…_ _I have a question._

 _Shoot._

 _How will it end? I mean, we can find the Heart, but how exactly do we use it to defeat the Earl, Noahs and Apocryphos?_

 _I'll explain later. We're not there yet._

I bit my lower lip, but asked no more.

* * *

Three days had passed since. All the scientists had been sent back to their home, except for Won and Bak –plus For-, and I still hadn't gotten any new flashback about the Fourth Case's location.

Which put everyone on edge, obviously.

I frowned at the game before me, moving my Bishop ahead and grabbing his Queen.

"You do realize it was a dumb move, uh?" I asked, placing it aside. "You just lost your best piece _and_ got Check"

But Johnny simply smiled, moving his Knight to-

"Well fuck"

"Checkmate" he grinned victoriously.

"You sacrificed your best piece as a bait to lull me in a false sense of confidence and therefore winning the game" I resumed. "Nice one, even though kind of ruthless. You could have waited two other turns to win with your Pawn just there"

"Sometimes, the strongest piece has to sacrificed itself so that the weaker ones can insure victory" he retorted, still smiling.

But said smile fell quickly.

"You wouldn't fell for it so easily" he remarked with a little frown. "Your mind is elsewhere"

"I'm just… worried" I admitted with a sigh, tucking my legs against my chest. "I've still haven't go any memories from the Fourth Case, and everything is moving so fast that I'm afraid we'll miss our chance if we act too late"

He grabbed my hand, trying to reassure me with a slight squeeze.

"We'll be fine" he assured. "We'll manage, like we always do. Always move forward, eh?"

I chuckled at that.

"You really admire Kiddo, don't you?"

"He's our friend" he replied instantly. "Always will be. I never doubted him. Or you, for that matter"

"Aw, thanks, Checkmate!" I bumped his shoulder with little strength. "You're my friend too, and the best chess partner ever!"

"Even better than Summan?" he asked.

For a moment, I stilled, before seeing the happy twinkle in his eyes.

I smiled softly at that.

"Even better" I assured. "The Old Man would probably kick my ass if I dared to say this in his presence, but I let him win half the games so that he wouldn't stop playing"

He laughed at that.

"He'd probably hit you in the head and calling you a dwarf or something like that" he snickered.

"He would" I agreed, fond of the memories despite all. "But then, I'd ju-"

::

 _It was dark, cold. The air was thrumming around, everything was unclear. I couldn't make out any images, any sound, just an uncomfortable buzzing and a red, shining light in the distance._

::

"Ary!"

"I'm fine!"

Taking a few breaths, I closed my eyes so as to get back my senses faster.

 _Trickster, what happened?_

 _The Fourth Case was moved, that's the only explanation I can find._

 _Moved!? Where too?_

 _How the hell should I know?_

"Oh God…"

* * *

"What do you mean, it was moved!?"

"I mean _it was moved_ , damn it!"

"This is bad" sighed Allen.

"No shit" I snapped his way, making him gulped.

 _Ary, breath._

 _…_ _right. Sorry._

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, I then thought about it. The Fourth Case had been moved. Otherwise said, it had been discovered. It wasn't Apocryphos because, according to Gabriel, I would have felt the change in auras or something like that. Same for the Noahs. However, the only aura I could feel was civilian.

Seeing as it was a big ruby, it was either in some sort of museum or in possession of some rich people.

Either way didn't suit me.

 _Why is that?_

 _There are loads of museums, and breaking in won't be a walk in the park. As for the rich people, well, they're just a pain in the ass to deal with._

 _Touché._

"Ary"

I glanced at Tewaku.

"What is it, Doll?"

"Didn't you say you should be able to retrace the auras?" she asked.

"Uh?"

"Now that I think about it, you did mention it" recalled Lenalee, thinking. "You said that if you concentrated enough, you'd be able to spot the different Innocence, just like the guys' invention is able to find it anywhere across the world. You said you should be able to use it to find the Heart, but… do you think you'd be able to use it to find the Fourth Case?"

Now remembering that, I rubbed my chin.

"I guess it _might_ work" I admitted slowly. "But… it'll take loads of concentration… I never even tried it before…"

"And we all know how she just can't stay in place" pointed out Lavi. "She has trouble meditating for more than five minutes, so concentrating long enough to find a Case that could be anywhere in the world? No offense, Tenshi"

"None taken" I assured. "Bookboy got a point, though. I just _can't_ pull that off, no matter how much I try –and trust me, I tried"

"If I may…"

We all turned to Leverrier, somewhat surprised. He did kind of became invisible ever since we met on my first day on the Ark.

 _...You forgot about him, didn't you?_

 _I had a lot on my mind, sue me._

"CROWs are trained since a very young age in the mystical arts" the ex-inspector informed, serious as always. "If you didn't know, they _too_ can sense auras, even though not as precisely as you do. If they used their own auras to influence yours, do you think you'd be able to… pull it off, as you say?"

"You mean like some sort of energy boost?" I blinked, understanding dawning on me.

 _Trickster?_

 _That… might very well work. Let's try it!_

"I think it's worth a shot" I admitted with a small smile.

Then, I turned to the Thirds.

"Up to it?" I asked.

They all nodded, determination settling on their features.

 _Let's do this!_

* * *

Tewaku had painted some weird markings on my arms, torso and back, saying it'd help with the transfusion of energy, and we then joined the guys in one of the training rooms.

All doors and windows had been locked, and it was only the five of us so to allow full concentration. I sat in the middle of the room, crossing my legs.

"We're going to manipulate our auras so as to meet your own" announced Link, taking place a meter in front of me. "Linking our auras will create a bigger source of energy. It will ease your way in the astral projection and allow you to last longer"

"Do we have some sort of insurance or…"

"We've… never tried it before" admitted Tewaku, sitting to my exact left at the same distance as Link.

"We're experts, though" added Tokusa, behind me. "So don't worry about it"

"Right…"

I was afraid linking our auras might lead to unnecessary feedbacks.

 _I've never tried that before, so I can't really say how it'll go. Sorry, Hime._

 _So reassuring._

"Relax" ordered Madarao, now sitting to my right. "The linking phase should be easier done, seeing as our auras were already somewhat altered by your _Shield._ If it becomes too dangerous for any of us, including you, then we'll pull away"

"… okay"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, my hands resting on my knees. After a few seconds, I felt my muscles relax somewhat.

 _Thanks, Trickster._

 _No probs._

" _Renketsu_!"

Their auras shot like massive waves but, somehow, it wasn't threatening. I could make out the threads extending to me, and my own reaching for theirs.

Warmth washed over me, and I instantly felt much better than I had in days.

 _Everything okay, Trickster?_

 _All's good and well, Hime!_

 _~This is so weird~_

 _Holy shit, Kermit invaded my mind!_

 _~Stop calling me that!~_

 _~Guys, that's enough!~_

 _Doll? This is getting creepier by the second. Oi, Cupcake, Mystère, you here?_

 _~We are all present~_

 _~The first phase worked. Now, we have to focus~_

 _…_ _right. Still not okay with this mind-raping, though. My head's already crowded as it is._

 _You tell me, Hime._

 _~Is that the Angel Gabriel?~_

 _Doll, don't call him that. His ego's already too big for me to support._

There was a distinct sigh coming from Link.

 _Sorry._

 _~Let's start~_

 _Soshin!_

My breath caught in my throat as I was violently propelled forward. Images started flashing in my mind as my spirit roamed the skies of the Earth. After a few seconds trying to adapt to the speed –which made me kind of sick- I was finally able to see clearer landscapes.

Narrowing my eyes, I finally spotted auras all around. Civilians all around, some Akumas dispersed in crowds, CROWs waiting in the shadows, the creepy Noah with the eyeballs on the tongue lurking around…

Wait.

Managing somehow to stop the wild pace, I floated above London for a moment. There was a pulse, a little spark in the distance… in the middle of the city… in a tower…

A bright ruby shined for a second, but it was instantly replaced by an eye more than familiar.

 _"_ _I see you!"_

The voice wasn't his, though.

I started falling, and felt my back hit the solid ground rather harshly. Coughing out some blood, it felt like my lungs had been fully emptied from air for way too long. I could make out some presences by my side, but it took me a few minutes to fully come back.

When my breathing became normal again, I opened my eyes to see the Thirds surrounding me in worry.

"Still alive" I croaked out, rubbing my temples. "God… never again, you hear me?"

"How are you feeling?" asked Tewaku, helping me in a sitting position.

"Like I passed hours underwater" I admitted. "My ears are buzzing…"

"Someone interfered" frowned Link.

"Two" corrected Madarao. "Very strong entities, at that. Your sudden panic sent you back here"

"Those were the Noah Wisely, and Apocryphos" I precised. "I had to come back, or they might have been able to do some damage to our minds, seeing as their were linked. Is everyone okay?"

"You took the worst of it" informed Tokusa. "Still got an awful headache, though"

"Boo-fucking-hoo" I deadpanned.

"Did you find it?" intervened the blond man before we could get in another argument.

It took me a moment to remember what I had seen.

"It's… in a tower" I answered. "In London, on a crown of some sort…"

Their eyes widened. Apparently, they knew what I was talking about.

"What is it?" I frowned, confused.

"The Crown Jewels" breathed out Tewaku.

"Err… is that a _good_ thing or a _bad_ thing?"

At the look they sent me, I could guess it wasn't exactly the best situation we could get in.

* * *

All had quickly been informed of our success, and we had elaborated our plan: the team would be composed of Allen, Lavi, Bookman, Madarao, Tewaku, Link, Tokusa, Klaud, Timothy, Miranda and me. I would get inside along with Lavi and Bookman to go get the Case while Tewaku and Allen took care of the different securities –cameras, booby-trapped display cabinets, alarms, etc-. Tokusa, Madarao and Link would seal away the entrance to the tower to stop anyone from breaking in. As for Klaud, Miranda and Timothy, their job was to ward off the Akumas lurking around.

The thing was, now that Apocryphos knew where we were going, he would more than probably post CROWs all around the place. Going there was clearly suicidal, but it was the only way.

 _Ready?_

 _As much as I can be._

Walking down the streets of London once again had been quite the nostalgic experience, and our new uniforms had quickly gained the attention of the passerby. Mainly civilians, but I had spotted two Level One and one Level Two so far.

When we got to the London Tower, Red Guards –Central's watchdogs- were already surrounding the whole place.

I frowned a little at that. If he knew where it was, then why didn't Michael take the Case and be done with it already?

 _It's a trap!_

 _Don't pull a Star Wars on me right now, it's seriously not the time._

 _…_

 _Kidding! Good one, Trickster._

 _Of course it was. Any ideas?_

 _We'll have to work with that. And of course, I can't sense the auras now that we are in the Case's vicinity._

A few explosions were heard farther away, and we all understood that Klaud, Miranda and Timothy had engaged the Akumas. Not only would it divert the weapons from us, but it would also gain Central's attention for the time being.

Paying for our tickets, we all went inside. I could feel the Exorcists tense as their Innocence stopped answering their commands, and I bit my lower lip. Without our anti-Akuma weapons, we were more than outclassed if we encountered CROWs.

 _You'll have to leave them to Tokusa, Madarao and Link._

 _Aren't I glad we got the elite on our side?_

I nodded to Tewaku and Allen, who smiled at us before leaving towards the security center not far from our position. Knowing they had this in the bag, we made our way inside the Tower where was displayed the Crown on which was attached the Fourth Case.

* * *

As soon as we were inside, the Thirds placed Feathers to seal the entrance, windows and other means by which our enemies could get in. The sudden gathering of energy must have got the CROWs' attention, for there were already crackles of electricity all along the barrier.

"We got this, go" ordered Madarao.

We ran upstairs, ignoring the cries of the tourists in our way, and finally got to the room. As soon as we got there, though, there were no tourists, but loads of Red Guards and even two other CROWs.

 _Just great._

"Bookboy, the Crown to the right!" I ordered.

Grabbing one of the swords hanging on the wall next to us, I faced our opponents, back to back with Bookman.

"Get them!" ordered a first one.

They jumped on us, quite literally, but I easily deflected their attacks. While the Red Guards were good watchdogs, they weren't exactly good fighters, and the only problem was cause by the CROWs, which were taken care of by Bookman. As I blocked each and every Shield trying to close onto us –those usually used by the Finders, that is-, I was careful as to not fatally injure any of our opponents. They were just doing their job, after all.

A glass shattered, and Lavi picked up the Crown.

"Tenshi, there's five of them!" he yelled my way.

"Grabbed them all!" I retorted, slicing a arm almost in two. "Only one will answer to the new Body Host!"

After what had happened with the Noah back at the Asian Branch, the Bookmen had decided to halt their first mission in order to help out. Despite it being their job, even Bookman couldn't just stand aside by now, seeing as how much they were involved already. So, they were still recording the war, but they were participating too, which meant that Lavi was allowed to become a Body Host.

"Watch out!" I yelled his way.

Three of the Red Guards were running at him with guns. However, as I sent another one crashing into a pedestal, they were electrocuted by Feathers and slumped to the ground a second after, knocked out cold.

The same thing happened to the five last, and I put down the sword, eying the CROWs carefully.

"Got it!" suddenly exclaimed Lavi.

There was a flash of light, and I instantly felt my Innocence come back. Relieved, I then approached the two masked men.

"Why did you help us?" I asked, more curious than anything else.

One of them got rid of the mask, revealing in fact a brown haired woman with a very serious expression.

"Apocryphos, as you have called him, has taken control of Central" she said, tone blank. "The Pope has assigned us a new mission: to help you defeat him in whatever way we can. However, he is not aware of our status and believes we are under his command, which is why we couldn't help sooner"

"That's so cool!" I beamed at her. "Because trust me, we'll need all the help we can get. But… not now"

A slight confusion etched on her features, but it was soon gone.

"When, then?"

I smiled at that.

"You'll know when the time comes" I shrugged. "Be on your guard, though. Apocryphos is way more aware than you might think"

"We will be careful" she replaced the mask.

Nodding, I then turned to Lavi and Bookman, who were watching with their recording look.

"Let's go"

* * *

Fetching the Thirds –who had learned much the same way as we did about the place of the CROWs in this conflict-, we then met back with Tewaku and Allen.

As we ran outside, we ran into Timothy, Miranda and Klaud.

"So, you kicked these Akuma asses?" I asked to the kid.

"Hell yeah!" he pumped his fist.

I bumped mine against his with a grin.

"Awesome"

"Did you get the Case?" asked the scarred woman.

"And much more" assured Lavi, showing his carved palm.

"What do you mean?"

"We'll explain once with everyone" I shook my head. "Better not risking to be heard"

"Then let's go" ordered Link.

* * *

 **Okay, first of all: I went to London once. I saw the Crown Jewels. And trust me, I _KNOW_ the display isn't like that, and the jewels aren't even in the ****tower. However, let's not forget that all of this happened way before the security system of today was invented. I allowed cameras because seriously, they've got awesome technology at the Black Order so _of course_ they'd have some for the fricking Crown Jewels. After that, I just decided to do as I pleased. It is a Fanfiction, after all.**

 **Hey, Lavi became a Body Host! I know many would think "Bookman would never allow it" or something like that but, the thing is, when Lavi got involved with the Noah, Bookman was forced to fight by his side -not wanting his grandson to die-. However, by doing that, they lost their status of untachables in this war. After all, their role is to record and not interfere, even Apocryphos and the Noahs know that. We could say that Sheril broke the silent agreement when he had them captured and tortured, but nothing was official until Lavi oppened the hostilities. By doing that, they lost the protection the title of Bookmen procured to them, and can now be targeted freely. Going away wouldn't have changed anything and they would more than probably have been killed, which is why they now have to help.**

 **Also, for the Asian Branch: there's nothing really important about it. I just believed that Michael wasn't stupid enough not to notice how the Asian Branch was actually helping his ennemy.**

 **Any questions are welcomed!**

 **Results of poll for my next story:**

 **D. Gray-Man = 2**

 **Magi = 2 (Err... I'm glad to receive ideas, and I love Magi too, but I honestly have no inspiration whatsoever for a Magi fanfic. But... do you consider a S _inbad No Bouken_ would work instead?)**

 **Fairy Tail = 1**

 **Poll still up!**

 **Question: This is a war. When the final battle occurs, people are bound to die on both sides. Which "good guy" do you want dead, and which "bad guy" do you want dead? I can't promise I'll respect those demands, but I'm really curious.**

 **Reviews, I love you guys so much!**


	49. The House Of Arembitches

**What, what what! I've got so many reviews! God, I'm so happy so many people like my story...**

 **Answer: Well, many just can't decide, someone proposed Gabriel, another Sokaro, another just any Marshall, one Kanda, there also was Apocryphos and a few others... geez, you really like them too much, uh?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"We now have the four pieces of the Case" announced Komui, sitting to his desk as always. "And the CROWs will be siding with us. All we need is now to find the Heart, is that right?"

"That's it" I nodded.

"But what _will_ we do with the Heart?" asked Lenalee.

We all turned to Gabriel –he was sitting on the other side of the mirror.

 _"I'll use a special Spell"_ he answered. _"That Spell will send Michael back Up there"_

"But what about the Noahs?" frowned Bak. "Once they hear about us finding the Heart, they'll interfere in the conflict"

 _"That'll be up to Allen and Nea"_ the Angel shook his head. _"If they kill the Millennium Earl, the Noahs will change allegiances. No matter what happens, they are loyal to the Earl. This loyalty will transfer to the one who defeats him"_

I looked away at that.

 _All for not saying that they'll obey because_ Nea _will become the new Millennium Earl._

"It'll truly become a three way war, then" sighed Reever, rubbing his temples.

"We're not there, yet" I shook my head. "We'll devise a plan and take as long as we have to do it. It's not like they can reach us or anything"

 _"Don't you jinx it, Ary"_ Gabriel glared at me.

I rolled my eyes, but added nothing.

"We'll talk about it when we have all the cards in hand, then" proposed Tiedoll.

"Why don't they try the same technique as before, the Astral Projection?" proposed Timothy. "It'll be faster that way, won't it?"

"Haste make waste" devised Bookman. "And seeing how both Noahs and Apocryphos can interfere with the projection, it'll be too dangerous for Ary and all of us"

"I'm sure it'll happen soon enough anyway" I shrugged. "And now I'm starving. Come on, let's go eat something!"

Jumping on my feet, I pulled Tewaku and Lenalee behind me while the others just chuckled at my antics, and I felt Gabriel settling back in my head.

 _Trickster, we're going to talk later._

He didn't answer.

* * *

Sitting on my bed, I closed my eyes and let myself slip in my mindscape.

Gabriel was waiting for me, resigned.

"You talked about a spell" I sat in front of him. "But a spell that strong… it'll cost something, won't it?"

He looked away.

 _"… yeah"_

"What?" my tone turned colder.

" _My life"_

I stilled for a moment, his answer processing.

"What!?"

" _Wait, not like that!"_ he shook his head quickly, alarmed. _"I'm an Angel, I won't die per se. I'll just free your body and go back with Michael"_

"But… you'll never come back?" my voice broke a little.

His blue iced eyes softened, and he grabbed my hands.

" _Destroying Apocryphos was what brought us together in the first place, Hime. With him gone, I have no more purpose here. I won't be dead, far from it! I'll just go back home. And we'll see each other again, don't worry! I'll be waiting to greet you Up there"_

I eyed him for a moment, before jumping in his arms and hugging him tightly.

"I'll miss you" I whispered.

 _"I'll miss you too"_

::

 _There was a pulse. Another one. Some buzzing numbing the senses._

 _No, a beating. It was white, and warm. Not far, just in front of me._

 _All was dark around, except for the light before me, thumping to a rhythmic melody._

 _The light was in a chest, very small and seemingly old._

 _I closed it._

 _The beating stopped, cold replaced warmth and darkness befall._

::

I blinked a few times, confused.

 _Err… mind explaining?_

 _I remember now! I placed the Heart in a secured chest that stopped anyone from sensing it. It was hidden in a cave, somewhere under the Himalaya._

 _But… it wasn't there anymore. I know, it was the same sensation as with the Fourth Case. And it seemed really familiar too, not just because of your memories! I'm certain I saw it once…_

 _Another museum?_

 _More than p-_

I froze.

 _Ary?_

" _Le Musée du Louvre_ … It's in the Louvre Museum! I saw it during an exposition, when my father took me there years ago!"

 _The hell are you waiting for, then!? Move it!_

Unable to stop myself, I started laughing as I ran to find all the others.

We finally found the Heart.

* * *

"Ary, wha-"

"It's in Paris!" I exclaimed.

My cry silenced the dinner hall, and all eyes turned to me as I tried to catch my breath, having run for a while before reaching the room.

"Paris" I repeated. "The Heart is in Paris, in the Louvre Museum"

Komui got up and gazed around.

"Allen" he finally called. "Sokaro Marshall, Bookman, Miranda, Timothy and Marie. You're leaving for Paris at the moment. You are to find the Heart and bring it back in the briefest delays manageable"

"Hai!"

* * *

When we arrived, the sun was barely rising upon the city.

"We have to find the chest before trying to take it" I said. "I don't remember where it is exactly, and the exposition it was in might have been replaced since, seeing as it has been many years since the last time I saw it"

"And you can't find it because of the properties of the chest" added Allen with a sigh. "Just great"

"We can go ask Emilia if she knows anything about it!" proposed Timothy with a grin. "She always loved going there!"

"We do have the time, seeing as it won't open before another few hours" remarked Marie.

"A-and Timothy could s-see his f-family again" added Miranda with a small smile.

"Aren't there any Akumas I can clash with?" whined the Marshall.

"None, which honestly worries me" I admitted.

"The Earl is gathering his army" replied Bookman calmly. "He knows this war is reaching it's final act"

We all darkened a little at that, knowing the weight upon our shoulders, but I then nudged Timothy.

"Race you to the Orphanage?"

He brightened at that, and pushed me a little before running.

"Hey, that's cheating!" I yelled, running after him.

He just laughed, and I could feel the others growing more at ease once again.

 _The final act, uh? Sounds like a book title or something._

 _Soon, Hime._

* * *

The Hearst Orphanage had been built back from its ashes, and I could see how the Order's little foundation had helped out.

"It's beautiful…" Timothy gazed at the building with stars in his eyes.

"T-Timothy! Ary!"

Apparently seeing our arrival via the window, Emilia had slammed the door open and ran at us with a bright smile. Latching her arms around my neck, she hold me tight for a few seconds.

"Last thing we heard of you, you had fled the Order" she said with wide eyes. "And then, we all got sent back because Central took over, can you believe it!?"

"We can't explain everything yet, Emi-chan" I shook my head in an apologetic tone. "But all you have to know is that it'll be over soon"

Her eyes widened even more at that and she gazed at the rest of us for insurance. They just nodded or grinned at her, and I could feel relief, disbelief and happiness shifting in a haste pace around her.

"T-this is wonderful!" she exclaimed, letting me go and hugging Timothy.

"It's not won yet" remarked Sokaro.

"Stuff it, Zombie-dude" I nudged his side.

"Just saying" he held his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Oh! I completely forgot, come on in!" the blonde snapped back to reality.

We followed my cousin inside, and I couldn't help but admire once more how the whole place had been built back from scratch.

"So, why are you here?" asked my friend as we settled in the living room.

"We're searching for an artifact" informed Marie in a kind tone. "Hidden in a special chest that was part of an exposition years ago, in the Louvre Museum"

"It's the one we saw the last time we visited together, Emi-chan" I recalled. "You know, the one that I wouldn't stop staring at?"

"Oh, I remember!" she snapped her fingers. "You really creeped me out that time, by the way. But… I'm afraid it's not in exposition anymore"

"No problem, we'll just break in" I shrugged.

"No, I mean it's been sold to the House of Aremberg"

I stilled, and I felt my eye twitch slightly.

" _Quoi?"_ **(T: What?)**

She flinched, laughing nervously and backing away as some killing intent escape my control.

 _"_ _Err… La Maison d'Aremberg. Le Duc a emporté le coffret lors d'une enchère. Ça a été un sujet très médiatisé, car on disait que l'objet renfermait un trésor. J'imagine qu'on sait de quel trésor il s'agit maintenant, eh?"_ **(T: Err... the House of Aremberg. The Duke has won the chest during a bid. It's been a very mediatize subjet, because they said the object hid a treasure. I guess we know what treasure it is now, eh?)**

Without another word, I turned my back to them and started hitting my head against the wall, making my friends cringe.

"A-Ary?" stuttered Miranda. "W-what is it? What is t-this 'House of A-Aremberg'?"

"The House of Aremberg is a very ancient noble French family" answered Bookman. "They carry a long bloodline of nobility mixed with royalty, and possess wide lands and enough money to live on for many more generations"

"You forget that they are complete up-thigh assholes who delusion themselves into believing they're superior when really, they're just equal to some horse shit on the side of the road" I retorted with a sneer.

My friends sweatdropped at that.

"I take it you don't have a good history with them?" asked Marie.

Emilia had the galls to snort.

"That's an understatement" she replied.

"To put it very simply, I knocked into the daughter once and she tried to have me _beheaded_! I mean, what the actual fuck? Who the hell comes up and say ' _off with her head!'_ and she seemed to really believe it worked that way too, so I reacted like any normal person would an-"

"You laughed, didn't you?" deadpanned Allen.

"Damn right I did! I mean, who wouldn't?" I wailed my arms around to mark my point. "She just goes all Red Queen on me while being an head shorter with mud on her face, how the hell was I supposed not too!?"

"My father managed to save her from being sued, but Ary had to work for them for a month" added Emilia, rolling her eyes. "Needless to say… it didn't exactly go that way"

"Of course it wouldn't" said Timothy, clearly stifling his laughs. "What did you do?"

"Put the fire to their table a couple of time" I recalled. "Spilled some soup on the daughter too. Oh, and some coffee once. I think I also ripped some of her gowns apart when she made me iron them… oh, and let's not talk about the state of her shoes… or the glass dishes… or the silverware… anyway, they sent me back home after a week, and I never heard of them again"

There was a moment of silence, before Timothy burst in laughter while the rest simply shook their heads.

"Of course you would…" sighed the white-haired teen.

"Sounds like the kind of people I'd hate meeting" added Sokaro with an evil smirk.

"Oh, they're worst than that" I assured. "And you're saying that we now have to go to their mansion to get that stupid chest?"

She shrugged with an apologetic smile, and I banged my head against a wall.

 _Just fucking great._

* * *

"No"

"Ary, you-"

"No"

"But-"

"No, damn it!"

"Aryane Darkelston, you come out of this room at once or I swear I'll pull you out by force!" thundered my cousin on the other side of the door.

Letting out an annoyed huff, I however opened the damn door and stepped out. I was greeted by utter silence, and looked away, crossing my arms on my chest.

"I look ridiculous" I seethed.

"D-don't say that, Ary" Miranda smiled at me. "You l-look lovely!"

"I refuse to go back to that place, and even less clothed like… like some sort of doll!" I stomped my foot.

There was a sudden flash, and I narrowed my eyes at Allen, who hid the camera behind his back with an innocent smile.

"Kiddo, I'm going to kill you" I assured.

"I'm so showing Lavi"

"You will not!"

"Wanna bet?"

"As amusing as it is" drawled Bookman. "We should get going. It's almost time"

"Tche"

We had passed the rest of the day working on our plan. Conveniently, the Arembergs were holding an official dinner with all of the nobles of France, or something like that. However, Emilia being the Inspector's daughter, also had been invited. So, we had decided to use the festivities to infiltrate the mansion and get our hands on the chest.

I wouldn't have anything to complain about, if it wasn't for the fact that _I_ had to infiltrate, meaning _I_ had to wear a fucking _dress_.

 _A DRESS, DAMN IT!_

 _Aw, Hime, don't be like that! You're adorable!_

 _I'm not adorable, I'm fricking gorgeous, and- not the point! I hate dresses! How the hell am I supposed to fight in this thing!?_

 _That's why the others will hide around, Hime. They got your back._

 _Still atrocious. I can barely breath with this corset!_

 _Stop complaining, would you?_

 _What, wanna take my place, Trickster? Come on, we'll see who complains after that!_

 _Hell no, I've still got a minimum of pride._

 _Fuck you._

 _Lavi won't be happy if I do._

"Urgh!" I shook my fists in frustration.

My exclamation earned a few amused glances from the rest of my friends but, before any of them could say anything, Inspector Galmar arrived.

 _Shit._

 _I forgot about him. Do we tell him the truth?_

 _Well, he_ is _your uncle, so…_

"A-Ary?" he stammered, frozen in place. "Wha-"

"We're infiltrating the Aremberg's mansion to steal a special chest containing the key to the end of the Millennium War" I informed casually.

There was a moment of silence, before his eyes rolled in their sockets and he literally fainted before us.

I stared dumbly at his body, now lying on the floor.

"Ary…" sighed Marie, shaking his head.

"What?" I protested.

 _You're impossible, Hime._

 _Whatever._

* * *

"It's almost over then, uh?" asked my uncle in a quiet tone.

"Yeah"

We had decided to speak in English while alone, in case anyone –or anything- was eavesdropping.

As we walked down the street towards the mansion, I could feel the others already reaching our destination and infiltrating the place without any difficulty. The communicating device carefully hidden in one of my earrings, I was waiting for an update on the situation outside. Marie, Sokaro and Miranda were to keep an eye outside, while Timothy and Allen were to start the researches already. As for me, my role was to withdraw the information from one of the Aremberg, and my uncle was acting as my escort to sooth things if they ever recognized me.

 **"Marie, in position"**

 **"Sokaro, in position"**

 **"M-Miranda, in position"**

"Kiddo, Brat, what about you two?"

 **"Stop calling me that! And we're trying to find a safe place for Timothy to hide while he uses his Innocence, but there are many guards"**

"Be careful, getting caught before even starting would be bad for my image" I replied.

I could easily imagine the rest of them rolling their eyes, and we kept on walking. After a few more minutes in an heavy silence, Galmar decided to speak again.

"You'll come back, won't you?" he asked, so quiet I almost didn't hear him. "When this is all over?"

"Of course I will" I smiled at him.

Then, an evil idea popped in my idea.

 _Hime, don't-_

"Plus, I'll present you my boyfriend"

"YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!?"

I snickered at his scandalized expression, and I could hear Timothy muffling his laughs at the other side of the communicating line.

"He's really sweet, I'm sure you'll love him" I assured, patting his arm.

"I-it doesn't matter! You're too young to have a boyfriend! I object!" he protested.

I shot him a very unimpressed look.

"I'm eighteen"

"Exactly!"

"You know, I'm old enough to have se-"

 **"Ary!"**

I stopped talking at Allen's outraged exclamation, but it was more because the Inspector threatened to faint again, with all the blood rushing to his head like that. However, before he could add anything, we reached the gates of the mansion.

Greeted by a butler, I completely changed my attitude to match one of the higher-up's. Straightening my spine and holding high my chin, I kept on a blank smile as we passed the doors.

Strong light blinded me for a second, but I didn't loose my mask of false pleasantries as we made our way in the crowd. Going to stand by a window, I smiled and bowed as other couples passed by.

 _I feel sick._

 _Be strong, Hime!_

 **"Timothy found one of the guests already passed out from the alcohol. He's now in his body and roaming the mansion. I'm on the opposite, but we haven't found anything yet"**

"We're inside too" I said, as if talking to Galmar. "No sign of the Noahs, or of the Arembergs yet. Outsiders, what about you?"

 **"Nothing to signal"**

 **"Same here"**

 **"N-nothing either!"**

"Okay. Be on your guard, though. We can never be too careful"

 **"Roger that"**

"Lord and Lady of the House of Arembergs, Lord Harry and Lady Elisa"

At the butler's announcement, the music took a softer beat and all guests turned to greet the hosts of the dinner. I easily recognized the arrogant looks on the man and woman's face, and already dreaded the moment I would have to meet them.

"He spoke English" remarked Galmar.

"Meaning they have more than just the France nobles" I frowned slightly. "International guests? I wouldn't be surprised if Central's watchdogs were here. You got that, guys?"

 **"Hai"**

"Daughter of the House of Arembergs, Lady Aurélys" announced the butler once again.

The Red Queen showed up in all her shortness glory, and I bit back a snicker at the dress she was wearing.

It was just… too much.

 _I don't know whether to cry or laugh. And she tried to have you beheaded?_

 _Yeah, crazy, right?_

 _She looks like a fucking dwarf! She's shorter than you!_

 _Fuck off._

My eyes suddenly locked with hers, and hers widened slightly, before she rushed to her parents.

 _Just fucking great._

They shot me stunned look, before arrogance settled once more and they made their way to our position. Putting back my fake smile in place, I greeted them with a slight bow.

 _Kill me now._

 _No can do._

"Milord, Milady" I greeted. "It would seem our paths cross yet again"

"So it truly is you…" trailed off the older woman.

"I'm afraid there was a misunderstanding, miss Darkelston" the man gritted his teeth. "You see, only those of a very strict class are allowed to this dinner"

"Oh, there is no mistake at all, Milord" I replied sweetly. "But do not worry, I am merely here to make you a… proposition"

"Proposition?" he repeated, money signs shining in his eyes.

"Something that would greatly benefit your House, if I might add"

"Oh? Pray tell, I'm all ears"

 _Hook, line and sinker._

 _He's eying your chest._

 _Fucking asstard!_

"You see, I work for an… organization" I said mysteriously. "And they are very interested in a certain artifact that you acquired in the past years. They are ready to pay a very high price to get it"

"And what would that… artifact, be, Miss Darkelston?"

I could hear some sort of respect in his voice, now, but could still feel his eyes trailing on my body.

 _Disgusting pig!_

 _Breath, Hime._

"An ancient chest, that you bought at a bid organized by the Louvre Museum" I answered with the same tone. "And trust me, they are ready to pay an extremely generous fee to have it"

He thought for a moment while his daughter shot daggers with her eyes, and his wife was already away, chatting with others.

"Oh, yes, I remember" he nodded. "We never were able to open it, though. If I may, why would your… organization, be interested in such a thing?"

"Historical value" I shrugged pleasantly.

"Very well, I accept the proposition" he nodded, offering me a glass of wine. "How about we discuss the terms of the agreement in an hour? I still have other guests to greet…"

"Of course, Milord" I smiled, taking the glass. "I'll be waiting"

"I will see you later then, Miss Darkelston"

As soon as he walked away, I sniffed my drink.

 _Drug._

 _I'm going to kill him._

 _After you got the chest, would you? I don't think the guests would take kindly to having their host murdered._

 _Good point._

I was about to call the others for some update when someone tapped my shoulder.

"Would you care for a dance, Milady?"

I froze at the familiar voice. Slowly turning around, I found myself facing Tyki. The Noah, presently in his human appearance, was smiling pleasantly at me, but I could see the coldness in his eyes that made me shiver.

 _Crap, what do I do!?_

"Thank you for your help, Inspector Galmar" I said in an even tone at my uncle. "You are dismissed, now"

He seemed ready to reply when understanding settled on his features, and he bowed his head.

"My pleasure, Miss Aryane. Have a good night"

And with that, he walked away. Knowing he would warn those outside, I then fully faced Tyki.

"What are you doing here, Mikk?" I asked coldly.

"What, can't join a fancy dinner once in a while?" he replied, extending his hand to me.

I was about to refuse when I spotted Aurélys glaring at me, not far from our position.

 _Hime no._

 _Hime_ yes.

I accepted Tyki's offer, and some surprised shone in his black orbs, before disappearing as soon as we stepped foot on the dance floor. I could see the daughter fuming in jealousy on the other side, and executed a little victory cry in my head.

 _That was childish. And now, you're trapped with Tyki._

 _… oops._

 _Moron._

"So, enjoying fancy dinners, then?" I asked as he lead the dance.

"Not really" he admitted, still smiling. "But the royal family was invited, and refusing would be bad for our image"

"Royal family?" I blinked, confused.

He tilted his head above mine, and I looked the he indicated, only to see Sheril drinking some wine while talking to some other dignitaries. When our eyes locked, he smiled, but I could see the barely contained fury behind his monocle. Then, I glanced a little further, and saw the Earl in his human form sitting next to Wisely, who was glaring at me with all his might.

I swallowed back my fear.

"Is Road awake yet?" I wondered, curious.

His grip tightened somewhat, and I took that as a 'no'.

"What are _you_ doing here, Milady?" he replied suddenly.

"Enjoying my evening" I shrugged.

He made me spin once more.

"Liar" he smirked. "Could it be… you found the Heart, then? Mind sharing with the class?"

"If the Heart really was here, do you think I'd be in this room, in a dress of all things, and dancing with you?" I replied smoothly, raising an eyebrow.

"Good point" he admitted.

The last note of the waltz echoed but, before I could pull away, the Lord of the House came back. Seeing his red cheeks, he had already downed more than one drink.

"Oh, Lord Mikk!" he greeted. "I see you have met our dear Aryane! She's a friend of the House!"

My eyebrow twitched at the title.

 _Friend?_

 _He's still trying to get in your pants._

 _… I feel sick again._

 _There, there._

"She's a lovely dance partner" agreed Tyki, still holding my hand. "Maybe she'd like to share a waltz with you?"

Dread settled in my guts and I shot him a look as he passed my hand to the arrogant bastard. He smirked, waving mockingly as I was lead in another dance.

 _I am_ so _killing him._

 _Hime, watch his hand._

 _I swear, if he grabs my ass, I won't hold back._

"So, how about we go see that chest, Milord?" I proposed with a sweet smile.

He glanced at the table of wine, apparently hesitant to leave his precious alcohol.

 _Hime, you have to do it._

 _I can't!_

 _Be strong! I know it's horrible, but it's for the good cause!_

 _I'm taking at least three showers once everything's done._

"And… after settling the terms… we have the whole night…" I added with a wink.

Instantly, he snapped his eyes at me and leaned closer with a smirk.

"Why don't we get going then, Miss Aryane?"

 _That's it, five showers._

"After you, Milord"

* * *

After a few minutes roaming the empty hallways –and avoiding that pig's hands-, we reached a locked room. When we entered, my eyes instantly went to the artifact we had been searching for, just in the back of the room. Completely ignoring the rest of the collection, I made a few steps forward, slightly in daze.

It was there. The Heart was there.

 _Get rid of him first._

 _You want me to kill him for real!?_

 _Of course not! Just… knock him out or something! Crazy host…_

Rolling my eyes, I spotted an heavy chandelier in the corner. A plan formulating in my mind, I indicated a random piece of his collection.

"What's that?" I asked innocently.

"That? It's the statue of the demi-god Hercules, child of Zeus an-"

Instantly tuning him out, I grabbed the chandelier while he wasn't looking and, without anymore ceremonies, hit harshly the back of his head. Instantly, he collapsed to the ground.

 _That was harsh._

 _Well, he's out, isn't he?_

As he sighed in my mind, I sent a signal through the communicating device.

"Everyone can hear me?" I asked.

 **"Ary! Are you okay? We heard Tyki talking to you, and-"**

"Mikk, Sheryl, Wisely and the Earl are here" I cut seriously. "And I found the chest. I want everyone to leave _now_. Allen, I'll find you at the meeting point"

 **"Are you sure you can handle them?"**

"They think I'm just here because I'm a friend of the Arembergs, so no worries" I assured. "Just get to it!"

 **"… Hai"**

Cutting the connection, I then made my way to the chest. However, as I was about to grab it, familiar presences made themselves known.

 _Here comes the trouble, along with some bastards._

 _Hime, not the time._

"Quite merciless for a friend, don't you think, Milady?" drawled Tyki.

"Do you _have_ to always come with a bad timing, or is it just in your nature to be an asshole?" I retorted, annoyed.

Slowly backing away, still heading for the chest, I turned to face him.

"The Heart is in here" announced a way too familiar boice.

"Great, welcoming the mind-rapist" I grunted.

The white-haired Noah glared back, now standing next to the first one.

 _You're almost there, Hime. But what are you going to do now? Do we call for backup?_

 _Don't worry, I know what I'm doing._

My back hit the pedestal on which stood the chest, and I was glad to see it was small enough to be carried without any difficulty.

 _You have no idea on what you're doing._

 _Okay, fine, I don't. I'm still trying to figure it out, okay? Sheesh._

 _So sorry for worrying. We just have TWO FUCKING NOAHS ready to kill us any moment from now, with the HEART BEHIND US!_

 _Stop screeching would ya? I'm trying to think!_

 _Well think faster, damn it!_

My hand reached for the locket as they slowly made their way towards me.

 _Try to win some time!_

"So… where's Sheryl, uh?" I asked innocently. "Too scared to face my amazingness?"

"He would loose control again if he fought you" shrugged Tyki.

"And you still aren't allowed to kill me, right?" I completed with a knowing smirk.

My blood froze as Wisely appeared behind me.

"Wrong"

"Fuck!"

I jumped back in time to avoid Wisely's attack, and his punch actually destroyed the pedestal as I hugged the chest against me.

"Wrong" he repeated, unfazed. "Now that we have the Heart, you are of no more utility to us"

"Meaning we _can_ kill you" added Tyki. "But we don't want to get Apocryphos' attention, and Sheryl loosing control would only insure that unnecessary confrontation"

"We can agree on this" I mumbled, getting back on my feet. "Awfully chatty tonight, though, aren't you?"

"Well, it _is_ the last time we'll be able to talk" the older Noah pointed out. "After all, corpses tell no tales, right?"

I scoffed at that, trying to find a way to get out of this mess.

 _I got it! Use the Heart!_

 _What? But I'll turn psychotic!_

 _You already are!_

 _Not the point!_

 _I'll help you keep control, just do it!_

 _I don't even know what you want me to do, for fuck's sake!_

 _I'll guide you, do it now!_

 _Fucking hell!_

I activated _Archangel_ and slashed the chest open. There was a beam of light blinding me for a second and, when I opened my eyes again, I instantly grabbed the Heart laying inside.

My eyes widened as my hand hit the bottom of the chest. I could see the stunned looks on the Noah's faces and, horrified, I glanced inside.

 _Gabriel…_

 _What the fuck._

"Well, that's a disappointment" sighed Wisely, running an hand through his hair.

"And it means we still can't kill you" added Tyki in the same tone. "Well, we bid you goodnight, then"

And with that, they just left.

 _Did they just fucking left?_

 _I think they did. Be glad about it, Ary._

 _But the chest…_

 _Go back to the others first._

 _… Right._

* * *

Taking the artifact with me, I quickly made my way out of the room and jumped from the nearest window. Flying to the meeting point, I soon spotted Allen waiting for me with an anxious frown. When he saw me, his features eased.

"Ary! I was getting worried, what happened? Where's the Heart?"

"Inside" I cut.

His worried frown returned at my tone, but he opened a gate nonetheless, and we arrived in the middle of the library, where everyone was waiting for our return.

* * *

When we appeared, relief washed over them. However, now was seriously not the time to be relieved.

"So, where's the Heart?" asked Komui.

For only answer, I threw the useless chest on his desk. All eyed the inside with varying degrees of horror. I simply crossed my arms, clenching my fists.

"What's the meaning of this?" snapped angrily Kanda.

His yell snapped the rest out of their trance-like state and, soon, the library was filled with exclamations and curses.

Lavi grabbed my hand, and I squeezed it, feeling… empty, at the moment.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know" I admitted.

Then, I hugged him, needing some support to get my mind of of this, if only for a few seconds.

What had happened…

 _It's crazy._

The chest was empty.

 _Fuck my life._

* * *

 **What? The Heart isn't there? Ah, ah...**

 **By the way, the House of Aremberg is a true noble family from France. Sorry of anyone related reads this. I just needed a noble House. Nothing personal, eh?**

 **Results:**

 **D. Gray-Man = 2**

 **Magi/Sinbad No Bouken = 4**

 **Fairy Tail = 2**

 **So, _Sinbad No Bouken_ seems to be really popular... well, I don't really mind. I've got a few ideas and something has been written already. **

**Poll still up!**

 **Question: Where _is_ the Heart?**

 **Reviews are so appreaciated and loved!**


	50. Anything

**Yoooooo everyone! Thanks again for the reviews, you're all so awesome! Unfortunately *cue evil grin*, no one found out where the Heart was.**

 **On another note... this is the 50th chapter.**

 **And there are -will be- 53, including the epilogue.**

 **...**

 **I KNOW! I KNOW, IT'S TOO SOON! I'M SORRY! EVERYTHING'S BEEN PLANNED OUT ALREADY, AND PROLONGING EVERYTHING WOULD JUST MAKE IT TOO LONG FOR NOTHING! GOMENNASAI!**

 **So, since the next chapter will be the final battle -no spoilers, don't worry-, I've decided to take my time in writing it. You know, to wrap everything up nicely and make sure it's good. I'm already well advanced, but I never was good for combat scene, so I'm trying really hard to make it good.**

 **Otherwise said, I won't post tomorrow, nor the day after or the day after. Give me a week, perhaps? I'll update as soon as possible, I swear!**

 **Answer: You'll see in this chapter *another evil grin***

 **LOVEYOUGUYSSOMUCHENJOY!**

* * *

I stared at the ceiling with a blank face.

 _There are two shades of white._

 _Hime-_

Ignoring him, I shifted on my bed and let my gaze wander by the window. Outside, the sky seemed to reflect our general mood and the usual sun had been replaced by dark clouds.

I felt… empty. Hollow. Las.

We had been so close to our goal, so close to end it all! But our hopes – _my_ , hopes, had been crushed in the matter of a few mere seconds.

And now?

We were back to square one.

 _Damn it._

There was a tug at the back of my mind, and I sighed, knowing Gabriel wanted to talk to me. So, letting go of consciousness, I let myself slip in my mindscape.

* * *

As soon as I arrived, I was engulfed in a warm embrace. I instantly returned the Angel's hug, kind of desperate.

 _"_ _Hime…"_

"Why?" I asked, my voice weak. "I thought- I really thought we could do it…"

 _"_ _I know"_ he assured, his voice soft and soothing. _"But you can't give up now, Ary"_

"But the Heart's gone!" I protested, my grip tightening around him. "It shouldn't have been, so why is it gone!? Without it, we can't end all of this! Without it, we… we _lost…"_

There was a light scolding pat on my head, and I raised my eyes to meet Gabriel's.

 _"_ _You've come so far, Hime"_ he said. _"You can't let go now of all times"_

"Then what can I do?" I replied, bitterness settling in my voice. "Your memories are all back, so no surprise back up plan, and we can't risk another astral projection, what with Apocryphos and Wisely on guard. We've got no lead whatsoever, which makes us fucking stuck in place!"

 _"_ _So what, that's it? You give up?"_

I stiffened at my friend's words, backing away slightly.

"I-I didn't- I'm not giving up! I just- I can't-"

 _"_ _We got no lead, so what?"_ he cut. _"Does this mean the fight's over? That the Earl won? That we leave the world to fall in the Three Days of Darkness? That we failed and that all the lives lost until now were in vain?"_

Anger burned down that last remains of my despair.

"I didn't say that!" I hit roughly his chest. "And I didn't give up! Don't you dare say otherwise!"

We stared at each other for a moment, none of us backing down from the glaring contest. Then, his face broke into a small smile.

" _Good. Now, what do we do, Hime?"_

I sighed, letting myself slump in the grass. Now that my little and extremely unnecessary breakdown was done, I could think more clearly about our situation.

We had to find the Heart, that was a given. However, as said sooner, all of Gabriel's memories had been retrieved, meaning there wouldn't be anything else to find via my dreams or visions. If we were desperate enough, we could use astral projection, but I wouldn't risk anyone what with the other mind-rapists waiting for us.

So, what could we do? The Heart wasn't in the chest, but the Angel had put it there before, meaning it had been taken. The Museum had never been able to open it, same for the Arembergs, so it had to happen _before_ they found it. Seeing the Noahs were also searching for it, then they obviously didn't have it. So, what-

" _Wait, Ary"_

"What is it?" I blinked at Gabriel, surprised to have been pulled out of my wonders

 _"_ _The Noahs are still trying to find the Heart"_ he said, having followed my train of thoughts. _"But… Michael never exactly tried anything, except back in London, and they obviously weren't there for the Case, or they would have taken it long before we got there…"_

My own heart missed a beat as I slowly went with the flow of his remark. The more I thought about it, the closer I got to the ultimate truth-

* * *

I instantly woke up, sweat rolling from my forehead. It couldn't… but it was so _obvious_ by now… Understanding dawned over me like a cold shower.

"Michael… already has the Heart"

 _Well fuck._

 _Couldn't have said it better, Trickster._

* * *

As I ran down an hallway to find everyone and explain my theory, I nearly bumped into Marie, who caught me before I could hit the floor.

"Ary-"

"I know where the Heart is!" I exclaimed in one breath. "Well, kind of! Come on, we've got to find everyone!"

But he only frowned.

"They're already to the Library, I was coming to get you" he informed.

At his tone, my excitation faltered somewhat.

"W-what's happening?" I asked, frowning too.

"It's Apocryphos" he answered. "We've got some intel. Come on, everyone is waiting for you"

"Then let's go!"

 _I've got a really bad feeling about this._

 _You tell me, Hime._

* * *

"What's going on?" I asked as soon as the doors open.

Making my way inside, my eyes instantly landed on two CROWs standing next to the Thirds. I instantly recognized the brown-haired woman from London.

"Lady Exorcist" she bowed at my presence.

"Intel on Apocryphos?" I questioned, already knowing the answer.

She straightened, face as blank as the last time, and nodded sharply.

"Apocryphos plans to attack the Ark" she announced seriously.

"W-what? When? How?"

"Two days from now" she answered. "He had us CROWs to develop a spell that would destroy the protections surrounding the Ark, therefore stopping any tentative to escape and allowing his troupes to invade"

I blinked once. Twice. My eye twitched.

 _Told ya you'd fucking jinx us._

 _Shut up!_

"Well, can't escape it" I sighed, letting myself fall on the couch next to Lenalee. "Keep working for him, invade the Ark. We'll contact you as soon as we have a plan"

She nodded her consent, putting her mask back in place, before Allen opened a door and let them outside.

Once it closed, though, hell broke loose.

"What the fuck, Ary?"

"You can't just decide that!"

"I'll kill you, Akahato!"

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

"Two days? We'll never make it!"

"Shut the fuck up, would you!?" I snapped, making them fall silent. "We don't have a choice in the matter. Apocryphos is going to attack, big deal. This place, the Ark, it's our territory. They have no power here, and with the CROWs on our side, we can easily turn this situation to our advantage"

They all fall silent, pondering on our chances. Suddenly, the room turned darker. Before I could react, I felt myself falling. Hitting the floor in a harsh 'THUD', I then looked around, narrowing my eyes.

::

I wasn't in the library anymore.

A small, familiar tune echoed, and I gritted my teeth.

"Road!" I called. "Show yourself!"

A few seconds passed, before her form appeared before me. She wore a somber expression, something that really freaked me out. She usually smiled sadistically, so seeing such a serious frown on her child-like face only led me to think the worse.

I knew she wasn't physically on the Ark, and I didn't really left the library. The Noah simply pulled my subconscious in one of her dream. The thing was, with Gabriel in my head, she shouldn't have been able to pull that off.

"How-"

"Gabriel let me in"

I tried to formulate my incomprehension, but couldn't find the right words. She sighed, and sat on a chair that appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm not here to fight" she assured.

"Then why are you here?" I managed to grit out. "And why did Gab let you pass?"

"Last time we fought, you used a special attack on me"

I stiffened at the memory. No, I didn't feel guilty. She deserved it. The thing was, nothing told me she wasn't here for revenge. I let go of my last doubts when ravaging emotions settled in her golden orbs, making my breath hitch slightly.

Sadness. Longing. Was that _hope_?

"You showed me… my perfect world" she passed an hand over her face. "What I desired the most wasn't what I thought it'd be. But… I want it. So, so much"

The girl let out a dry laugh.

"Ironic, isn't it? I, Road Kamelot, the Noah of Dreams, get caught in the webs of my owns"

"What is it that you want, then?"

Her laugh died down, and her fist clenched slightly.

"Nea…"

Confusion took over the rest of my emotions. What the hell was she talking about?

"Nea…" she repeated, louder. "I want to be with Nea. Like before. I want to be with him, never letting go. I want to atone for my failure to him, I want-"

"You love him?"

She stilled at that, her eyes going wide. She obviously denied the whole thing all along, and here I came trashing her protective walls.

"I… guess I do" she whispered.

"Right… why telling me this?" I raised an eyebrow. "You won't betray the current Earl, for you are loyal to your Clan and Master. So, what do you want _me_ to do?"

"Nothing"

"Uh?"

"You won't do anything. I merely came here to inform you that the Noahs will take part in the battle against Apocryphos, starting the three way war that lingered for so many centuries" she replied seriously.

"Then why tell me everything about Nea!?" I exclaimed, exasperated and still confused.

At that, she looked away.

"I'll… look out, for him" she sighed. "Betraying the Millennium Earl is impossible for us, since it would result with our Noah side destroyed. However, if it comes down to it, I'll help Nea. I-I can't loose him, not again"

"Otherwise said, we can count you as potential ally in anything that concerns Nea's life?" I traduced.

She simply nodded, and I rubbed my temples.

"Got it. Thanks for the head's up"

"It wasn't for you" she retorted more coldly.

"Hai, hai"

The girl let out an annoyed huff, looking away and her bratty façade of usual settled back.

"Whatever. I've delivered my message. We'll meet back on the battlefield, in two days from now"

"And we'll settle everything once and for all" I added.

Her door appeared, and she left without another glance behind. Then, the dream shattered and I found myself back in the library.

::

"Ary!"

At Timothy's cry, everyone's attention shifted back to me. I had apparently collapsed, and they put me on the couch.

"What happened to you?" worried Lenalee.

"Road happened" I grunted, feeling a headache coming.

"Road?" repeated Allen, frowning. "What-"

"She had a message for us" I cut. "They'll be joining the final battle too"

"Which only makes things more complicated" Bak remarked with a scowl.

"Ary, you told me sooner that you found the Heart" recalled Marie. "Does it have anything to do with your decision to confront Apocryphos?"

At the wondering stares from the rest of the group, I let out an heavy sigh, before dropping the bomb.

"Apocryphos has the Heart"

Instantly, they all exploded in colored curses that I had no doubt came from my mouth at least once before –I swear I heard Kanda curse in French-, and waited for them to calm down a little before pursuing.

Once they were done, I explained what Gabriel and I came up with, the Angel appearing in the mirror across of me.

"The Heart was taken before the Museum found the chest, which means it happened way before any of us were born" I pointed out.

" _And, as I told you before, anyone using the Heart without the Case would turn psychopathic"_ added my friend. _"Which would explain why Michael strayed from his path and turned out like this. Because, let's be honest, no Angel would naturally transform the way he does"_

"So, we reached the conclusion that Apocryphos found the Heart all these years ago, wanting to protect it, but couldn't find the Case, which is why he turned out the way he did. It would also explain why he can absorb Innocence, and why he wants to. Michael and Apocryphos are two different beings, the second being the Heart itself. It's trying to protect itself, and considers us threats to its survival" I concluded.

"Well…" Lavi trailed off. "It does makes sense"

The rest nodded in agreement, and Bak stroke his chin in wonder.

"It doesn't leave us much time to plan, though" he pointed out.

I bit my lower lip at that. He was right, of course, but we could no longer back down. It was time… it was time to move forward. For good.

"Guys…" I called, gaining back their attention. "This… will more than probably be our final act"

As soon as the words left my mouth, the already somber mood grew heavier. However, I had to make things clear.

"This three way war with Apocryphos, the Noahs and the Exorcist is about to reach it's term" I insisted. "In two days from now, the finale battle will decided the fate of this world and humanity"

"No pressure" muttered Allen.

"None of us have to do it"

The air grew colder at my announcement, and I shifted in place.

"What do you mean?" asked Timothy, a little confused.

"None of us has the obligation to fight" I precised, my throat feeling dry. "We still have a chance to back out and let it be. Right here, right now, is the time to decide if you let it go. Timothy, you still have the Orphanage. Lenalee, Komui, you could leave and go back to your home country to live as a family again. Bookman, Lavi, you still have your duties as Bookmen. Tewaku, Madarao, Tokusa, Link, you would be able to live in any town you'd like. You, everyone… All of us are offered this choice. There is absolutely no guarantee that we'll make it, and it's the last chance we'll get. If you want to leave, then it's now or never"

There was a scoff, and all eyes turned to Kanda.

"You're telling us _now_ , of all moments?" he grunted. "Give me a break, Akahato. None of us is backing out"

"The others might-"

"Ba-Kanda's right" Allen assured. "We've come this far. We can't give up now. We've got to move forward"

"We're going to end this war" added Krory, determined.

"And make sure all those lives weren't lost in vain" pursued Lenalee with a smile.

I checked their aura, trying to catch some sort of hesitation, but even Timothy's and Miranda's determination was set in stone.

I grinned, getting on my feet.

"Good. Didn't want you to chicken out on me on the battlefield"

They all shared bitter smiles at that, knowing too well that this time, it was all or nothing. We wouldn't survive if we lost. We would live if we won. There was no other way anymore.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's get to it!"

* * *

We passed the next three hours setting up our plans. The CROWs had been informed, the fights planned out and all that was left to do was wait for the final battle.

 _The final battle…_

 _Nervous, Hime?_

 _Of course I am. We won't get another chance, Trickster. If we fail-_

 _You won't fail. But come, we have much to discuss._

Curious, I settled on the couch and reached my mindscape. When I arrived, Gabriel was waiting for me with a small smile, but I could tell there was something bothering him.

"What is it, Gab?" I asked, sitting next to him.

 _"_ _It's… remember the spell? Well, I don't exactly know it. It's one of my brothers that has it, and he won't give it to me unless I bring you with me"_

I stared at him for a few seconds, startled. Then, my excitation grew like that of a five years old receiving a new toy.

"You mean… we're going Up?"

" _Yep. Hang on tight, we'll be back before the end of the hour"_

"Aye, aye!"

Curious and more of all excited despite our circumstances –I'm going to the literal Heaven, cut me some slack-, I grabbed his extended arm.

There was a flash of light.

* * *

The forest usually covering my mindscape disappeared, leaving place to a very grand hallway.

I looked around, slightly in daze.

"You know, it's kind of cliché" I then remarked. "Does everything has to be white? I'll be blind before we get back…"

Gabriel rolled his eyes at my antics.

 _"_ _It's the Innocence, we can't change the color no matter how many times we tried"_

I hummed, and we started heading down the hallway. It was very simple, all white, but with an extremely high ceiling. Our footsteps didn't make any sound, and we didn't have any shadows either, which kind of freaked me out.

"So, who are we going to see?" I wondered.

 _"_ _My brother Raphael"_ he answered with a little scowl. " _I have no idea why he wanted to see you too, though"_

"Because I'm amazing, duh" I replied.

He shook his head, ruffling my hair, and we stopped before a door as plain and simple as any others we passed by. Pushing it open, I went inside, and my jaw dropped.

"Trickster?" I squeaked out, frozen in place. "I thought you said we were going to see your brother…"

Behind me, I could tell he was frowning as he closed the door.

 _"_ _But we are g- oh"_

Before us wasn't one, but dozens of Angels, all seated around one big and round table that circled the whole room.

For once in my life, I was intimidated.

"Err…"

 _"_ _Welcome back, Gabriel"_ greeted the one in front of us. _"And our greetings to your Host"_

I stilled at his words.

 _"_ _Raph-"_

"Oi, I'm not just an Host, Blondie" I glared at him. "I'm a human being and also Trickster's friend, so you better treat me as such or else"

There was a moment of silence, and Gabriel snorted.

 _"_ _Oh, Ary…"_

"What?" I asked, all nervousness forgotten.

There were a few quiet chuckles, even from the "Blondie" or rather, Raphael.

 _"_ _Quite the spitfire uh?"_ remarked one of the beautiful women.

 _"_ _Her and little Gabriel really are the perfect match"_ another man pointed out.

 _"_ _Both rash and rude"_ scoffed a third.

 _"_ _Can we just get on with it?"_ Gabriel rubbed his temples.

I smirked at that.

"Why, Trickster, you got such a nice family!" I grinned. "Aren't you happy to be back?"

 _"_ _No"_

 _"_ _Ouch"_ mocked Raphael. _"We feel your love, Gabriel"_

"Oh, I like him" I pointed at the blond-haired man.

 _"_ _Enough pointless chatter. Why couldn't you just give me the spell, Raph?"_ my friend cut to the chase.

At his question, the rest of the angels exchanged glances.

 _"_ _The spell won't work"_ finally said the woman from sooner.

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Your synchronization with your Host- I mean, Miss Aryane, is too complete. While it makes you stronger, you won't be able to cast the spell in this state"_ said another of them.

"Even if he takes over?" I frowned.

 _"_ _He might take over the body, but your souls are bonded, now more than ever. We never saw anything like this before"_ Raphael admitted, more serious.

 _"_ _For a mortal to build up such a bond with an Angel is quite the feat"_ remarked the woman. _"But it won't work in your favor concerning Apocryphos"_

I kept my mouth shut for a few seconds.

"W-what would happen… if he used it anyway?"

 _"_ _You'd both disappear in nothingness. No life, no death, merely disappearing like the souls of the Akumas that were destroyed by the Thirds months ago"_ answered yet another.

"Ain't that all joy and sunshine" I muttered. "So, what _can_ we do?"

 _"_ _Nothing"_

My eyes widened, and my fists clenched.

"What? What do you mean, we can't do anything!?" I protested. "There must be _something_!"

 _"_ _I won't give the spell to Gabriel"_ answered calmly Raphael. _"It would destroy you both and wouldn't even work on Apocryphos. It would be meaningless"_

"But if we don't use the spell, then we won't be able to stop the Heart's influence on Michael, and we'll _loose_ " I retorted. "We can't afford it, not now of all times! In one day from now, the Millennium War will come to its very end. There is no option left for us!"

Silence ensued, but I didn't back out and hold Raphael's gaze. It seemed like hours, before he let out an heavy sigh.

 _"_ _There might be a solution"_

"What is it!?" I pressed.

 _"_ _There is another way to use the spell"_ announced the woman from sooner. _"This way… could ensure the lives of your friends, the peace of this world and humanity's fate. However…"_

I let the implications sink in, and easily found what was left to say.

"No more war…" I bit my lower lip. "No more war would equal to freedom. For my friends, my family, for this world and all humankind. However… freedom comes at a price, doesn't it?"

They all nodded as one person, and Gabriel seemed to realize something. His fists clenched, and he made a move forward.

 _"_ _Wait, no! You can't-"_

Before he could add anything, he was restrained by two others Angels. Forced to stay still, he glared at his brother, who seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal.

 _"_ _As you said, freedom comes at a price"_ he said, getting up to face me. _"Exorcist Aryane Darkelston… what price are you ready to pay?"_

I stood my ground, chin held high and eyes blazing, determined.

"Anything…" I clenched my fists. "Anything, as long as they're safe!"

* * *

 **TAN TAN TAN! YES! THAT'S THE END OF THE RESUME UP THERE! How was it? Good? Bad?**

 **Results:**

 **Magi = 4**

 **D. Gray-Man = 2**

 **Fairy Tail = 2**

 **Question: What is the price to pay? Material or non-material?**

 **Ah, I feel so evil...**

 **Well! Reviews please, it's one of your last chances! And poll still up!**


	51. It Ended With The Sun

**YOOOOOO! So, this is it: the final battle! I wanted to thank everyone for your reviews, and also for your understanding. It allowed me to put much more thought in the chapter, which is my longest of all, by the way *cough, cough*32 pages*cough, cough*.**

 **You're all so awesome!**

 **Answer: Well, you'll know soon enough. Though, I can say it isn't material.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day passed at the pace of a slug. Minutes felt like centuries and the clock ticked down the time they had left until the showdown. They all tried to act as if nothing would happen, as if everything was fine and well, as if they didn't have the weight of the world pressing upon their shoulders.

But they did.

Komui sighed.

Since he joined the Black Order, he had made a point to always protect the Exorcists at the best of his abilities. At first solely for his dear sister, he then found himself growing attached to each of the members joining their mad crew as the years flew by. They moved forward to become some sort of a twisted family, led by faith and destiny and whatnot.

However, the stronger they grew and the harder their life got. Enemies after enemies, fighting Akumas et Noahs without a rest because at the one little mistake, all odds would turn against them, and they seriously didn't need that.

 _They never had it easy_ , the man sighed internally, gazing at the light spar between Kanda and Allen. _And yet, they never gave up._

"Supe, we've got to run a few tests!" called Jiji.

"Coming!"

Leaving the training area, Komui couldn't help but think that, however all of this would end, none of them would be the same afterwards.

For the better or the worse, that had yet to be determined.

* * *

"Oh, what if I try with the Seventh Seal?"

"Tokusa, wait-"

"Bind!"

There was a small explosion, and smoke filled the room in which the Thirds, along with Link and Leverrier, were experimenting on their Feathers once more. They needed a very special kind to be ready for the battle tomorrow and, while they were close to find the solution, they still had a way to go and needed more time.

Time they couldn't afford.

"Sorry" coughed Tokusa.

"Another incompatible, uh?" sighed Tewaku.

"The blow wasn't strong, though" Madarao pointed out. "It was all smoke. It could be a good decoy"

"Decoy or not, we still don't have what we need" grunted Tokusa, annoyed.

"But the smoke concentrated on our position" Link replied, thoughts swirling. "Meaning the Third Seal had some effect on this one"

"If you try to put together the Third, the Fourth and the Eight, plus a reversed Seventh, then you might be able to add a blinding ability" remarked the Inspector.

They all nodded, understanding his train of thought, and instantly went back to work. They had to pull it off, somehow, and fast. Time wasn't a luxury they had right now, but they'd manage.

 _Failure is not an option,_ Link swiftly painted the Fourth seal. _We just have to work harder, and faster._

They'd manage. They had to.

* * *

Reever frowned, eying the special guns laying on the desks before them. None of them were lethal, for it would be used against the Red Guards. Seeing as these men were merely following orders, it had been unanimously decided that they would avoid human losses as much as possible.

However, for the scientist, these guns meant way more than just weapons for defense or attack. They were the sign that all was changing. Months sooner, they would still be working on a new uniform or filling never-ending paperwork. Now, they designed special guns for the battle that would mark the very end of this century-long conflict.

It seemed surreal, almost a dream.

 _What will happen after that?_ He wondered. _How many more will we loose to this stupid war?_

It was too late to back out now, though, way too late.

 _In a way, I'm glad, though,_ the man admitted. _No matter the outcome, it will all end tomorrow._

* * *

Tiedoll let his pencil do the talking most of the time, and today was no exception. After all, it might be his last. He had to make it memorable!

"What do you think our chances are?" quietly asked Klaud.

Next to him, the woman was sitting on a comfortable chair, petting Lau Shimin with a blank face. However, the blonde beauty wasn't one to usually hide her emotions. For the Marshall to put on such an expression…

 _She must be truly troubled,_ he realized.

"The same as usual" he simply shrugged, pursuing his drawing. "We're strong, prepared, but all plans don't always work as planned. We can only wait and see. What do you think, Sokaro?"

For once, the mad ash-skinned man wasn't displaying his usual… well, madness. He was silent, uncomfortably so, and his white eyes didn't show any emotions. After a few more seconds where the other two awaited for an answer with growing wariness, his face broke in a familiar maniac grin, razor-sharp teeth glinting in the light.

"Whatever happens, it's gonna get mad pretty quick!" he announced, cackling.

Instantly, the tension broke and Tiedoll let out a small chuckle while Klaud rolled her eyes at their colleagues' antics.

The Marshall's attention went back to hi masterpiece, and he found himself smiling as, despite the darkness etching on the paper, a small light had yet to disappeared, up in the right corner.

 _Some red would fit well,_ he mused.

So some red he added.

* * *

"K-Krory, are you a-alright?"

Miranda wasn't sure if she overstep her boundaries when the man jumped at her question, apparently unaware of her presence until then. However, as soon as their eyes met, her offered her a small smile.

"I am doing fine, Miranda" he assured. "How about you? Nervous?"

"Q-quite" she admitted, more quietly. "I-it is a great burden to place upon o-our shoulders, don't you t-think?"

"It sure is" he sighed.

They stayed silent for a moment, enjoying the peace and quiet before the storm.

"We've come far, since it all began" the aristocrat remarked, almost in a whisper. "How did you end up becoming an Exorcist, Miranda?"

The young woman recalled the Rewinding Town Incident, and scratched the back of her head, a little nervous and sheepish at the same time.

"M-my Innocence activated by accident, making my w-whole town live the same d-day over and over again for a month" she answered. "A-Allen, Ary and Lenalee found me and s-saved my life, and they inspired me greatly. That's w-why I've decided to become an E-Exorcist"

He hummed in understanding.

"The first one I met was Cross Marshall, though I didn't know who he was at the time" he informed, smiling wryly at the memory. "He's the one who brought me my Innocence. A few days later, I met Ary and… I kind of tried to kill her, to be honest"

He laughed, remembering his past mistakes and how everything turned out.

"She was quick to forgive, trying to make me see past my illusions" he added fondly. "I was in love with the Akuma sent to kill me and, while destroying her, I destroyed myself. Ary, and Allen, were the ones pushing me forward all along after that"

"They do have this strange ability, don't they?" the klutzy woman remarked, for once forgetting about her stammering.

"They do" he nodded. "But… I regret nothing. If once I had my doubts, they all have vanished by now. I'm ready. And, if it ever comes to this… then I'll gladly join my dear Eliade once all is done"

None of them added anything more, both understanding the truth behind Krory's words. As Ary said, as long as they didn't regret, then it was the good choice.

 _I am… glad,_ thought Miranda, a smile gracing her lips. _To have met such wonderful people. Allen… Lenalee… Ary… because of you, I finally found a purpose to my life._

Warmth spread in her chest as she felt her Innocence buzz happily on her arm.

 _Thank you._

* * *

Lenalee bit her lower lip, hesitating, before softly knocking to the door before her. After a few seconds, Kanda opened with a grunt.

"What do you w- Lenalee?"

He wasn't awaiting her. She shifted on her feet, a little embarrassed.

"I… I was just wondering if… well, if you wanted to meditate" she asked in a small voice, knowing the samurai to be in a bad mood right now.

He eyed her for another five seconds, before sighing and opening wide, letting her enter. Feeling better already, she froze in place when she saw Allen already sitting on the mattress. Cracking an eye open, he smiled at her.

"Hey, Lenalee"

"Allen? What are you doing here?" she asked, curious.

She took place in front of him while Kanda closed the door and sat next to them, already going in meditation.

"We wanted to relax after our spar, and I proposed the meditation session" the white-haired boy shrugged.

"I'm surprised he accepted" she blinked in wonder.

"Yeah, I thought he would snap at me or something but he just walked away" replied the Fourteenth's Host.

"And we all know that it's the best answer we can get from him, uh?" teased the young girl.

The long-haired Exorcist's eye twitched dangerously as he sat next to them.

"I'm right here" he gritted his teeth.

The other two shared a quiet laugh, before closing their eyes and coordinating their breathings.

 _A lot of things happened, much more will,_ Lenalee eased her mind. _But Ary is right. We can't back out now and ignore all those who paved the path for us with their own blood and tears. It's time we make our own mark._

Next to her, the sixteen-years-old was however more nervous than he let it show.

 _Allen, would you stuff it? I'm trying to get some rest before tomorrow._

 _Sorry Nea, I'm just worried._

 _Hey, I'll be the one doing all the work, remember our deal?_

 _I know, I know. But I'm not worried about us. I'm scared for the others. If we fail tomorrow-_

 _We won't. And if we do… well, you'll all stay stuck together anyway._

 _What do you mean?_

 _Well, you'll be dead, but you'll still be together in the afterlife, right?_

 _…_ _moron._

But Allen smiled nowadays.

* * *

 _"_ _Timothy, you should take a break"_ frowned Tsukikami.

But his young master wasn't listening, going through his training choreography again and again with heavy sweat rolling down his forehead.

"I can't stop now" he huffed, jumping to the right. "Tomorrow's the big day, I can't slack off!"

 _"_ _If you exhaust yourself now, you won't be able to fight"_ replied his Innocence.

"But-"

"Timothy"

"Marie!"

Finally putting his training session a stop, he released his stance, wincing for a moment at his sore muscles before putting back his usual grin as the blind man approached, smiling too.

"Working hard, are you?" he asked kindly.

"Uh-uh!" Timothy nodded eagerly. "I'm ready for tomorrow! We'll kick their sorry asses and win for real!"

Marie ruffled his blue hair, not dropping his smile.

"You're scared"

The boy stiffened at the accusation, and instantly built up his bratty façade.

"Am not!" he denied fervently.

"Really?" wondered Marie. "Because I am. Very scared, actually"

This admission of weakness made the orphan falter somewhat, and he felt the worry he tried to push down for the past hours come back up.

"… you are?" his voice was suddenly weak.

"Hmm" confirmed Marie. "I am. But it's okay to be scared, you know? With what's going to happen, no one can predict the end of tomorrow"

A lump formed in the throat of the kid, and tears welled in his eyes. He angrily wiped them away.

"I'm not scared!" he repeated, louder. "I'm not scared…"

But he couldn't close his eyes anymore.

"I'm terrified…"

His body racked with sobs, he cling on Marie when the older man hugged him tightly.

 _"_ _Timothy…"_ Tsukikami didn't know what to say.

"We can't predict what'll happen tomorrow" repeated softly the blind man. "But what we do know is that they won't win so easily. However, me and everyone else agreed"

"About what?" sniffed the kid.

"If things turns out badly… we want you to run" announced the eldest more seriously. "Disappear, don't come back. Everyone have the same orders. If the Heart befalls to the Noahs, or Apocryphos takes control, we are to run as far away as we can, and you first"

"What!? But I'm an Exorcist too!" protested Timothy, pulling away. "I can't just run like a coward!"

"Your life is more important than some honorable death" scolded lightly the tall man. "And think of it this way: as long as you live, there's still a chance"

The youngest looked down, pondering on his words. Then, he nodded stiffly.

"Okay" he rubbed away the last traces of tears. "Okay, fine. I'll do it. As you said, everyone got the same orders anyway"

"Good. Now come on, Jeryy made your favorite plate"

"Yes!"

As they walked away, Timothy shared a glance with Tsukikami. Both knew more than well that, despite orders, not one of the Exorcists would actually run. None would be able to bear the the guilt if they ever did.

Timothy clenched his fist.

 _No matter what, I'll keep on fighting. If it's not enough… then I will have done my best. Too bad Emilia won't see how awesome I'll be._

Fear left place to determination.

* * *

Hevlaska could feel the growing tension as each hour brought closer tomorrow's burden. She wasn't a fighter, merely a keeper of Innocence, so she wasn't allowed on the field. However, she knew of one thing that she could do, and that the others were unaware of.

Being linked to each piece of Innocence, the Exorcist had the ability to share her life-force through the bonds. If she ever felt one of her comrades was in danger, then she'd be able to intervene.

 _Even if it isn't much, I won't stand aside and wait for the end to unfold. I counted on them all these years. Now, it's my turn to return the favor._

* * *

Gazing down at the silent Ark, the members of the Bookman Clan were agitated, yet extremely calm.

"Once we have recorded everything, we will have to leave" Bookman suddenly announced.

His grandson showed nothing of the true despair he felt churning in his core. Leaving? After all of this happened? Leaving his friends, his family… leaving Ary?

"I know" he simply said.

He'd confront this new obstacle once the war was won. After all, nothing assured that they'd survive the next day, so thinking about the endless possibilities would only be a waste of energy.

 _History takes its death march once more, leading to a new era,_ prophesized Bookman, smoking his pipe. _Will it be an era of Peace or the Three Days of Darkness, nothing is sure as of now._

He puffed some smoke out, hiding a sigh in the white mist.

 _I personally hope the later, or there won't be anything more to record._

The redhead to his side wouldn't be so impassive about everything, though.

 _Bookman or not… if I can do something to change the course of this battle in our favor, I will. I don't care about the consequences, as long… as long as Ary, and everyone, are safe._

His single green eye glinted in the diminishing daylight.

 _I won't let them die, no matter what._

* * *

Contrary to the day, the night passed in the blink of eye. As everyone slowly gathered in the main place, silence befall, no one knowing what to do or say.

"Be safe" then said Komui. "It's an order"

"Hai" they saluted.

"Our plan should work, but if anything happens that would lead us to defeat, then we retreat" added seriously Aryane. "The more of us that survives, the better are our chances to fight back once more"

"Why so stern, Ary?" grinned Lavi, swinging an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, smile! Oh, do I get a good chance kiss?"

"Only if you get me hot chocolate once it's done" she replied with a small smile.

"Deal"

The rest chuckled lightly at their exchange, and the couple kissed chastely. Suddenly, the Ark started shaking.

Aryane grinned.

"It's time to get this show on the road. Forward, our destiny awaits!"

"Stop being so dramatic, Ary" Allen rolled his eyes.

"I'm not dramatic!" she denied, crossing her arms. "Lenalee, support me!"

"Err… you're tall?"

"What's that even supposed to mean!?"

"You're as short as your temper" deadpanned Kanda.

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

This time, it earned a bunch of true laughs despite the Ark shaking once more. Still smiling as they went to take position, the red-haired girl let out a short breath.

 _Hime…_

 _It is time. Finally, after all theses years… the Millennium War will come to an end._

Gabriel sighed, then smiled madly.

 _Ready?_

 _Of course. It's time to end this once and for all._

 _Agreed._

There was a loud explosion, meaning Apocryphos' army had managed to break in.

 _Let's do this._

No one noticed that, saved for Rohfa's gift, her necklaces were nowhere to be found.

* * *

The Red Guards infested the dimensional plane like cockroaches, weapons ready to strike down the first enemy they'd see. However, as soon as the last of them set foot on the Ark, the Feathers set all around to trap the Exorcists fizzled. The gate, which was about to close, stopped disappearing. Instantly, explosions echoed and smoke filled the whole area. As Apocryphos' army tried to clear the path, all of the Exorcists dashed at the door, which was their only way out.

Once it was close, no one would go in, or out.

Timothy, Lenalee, Miranda and Kanda were the firsts to pass, soon followed by Lavi, Bookman and Marie. As Allen used his own control over the Ark to try keeping the gate open as long as possible, the three Marshalls passed through, Krory and the Thirds on their heels. Finally, Aryane darted outside along with For, and Allen jumped in barely a second before it closed.

As soon as the door disappeared, the smoke cleared, revealing to the Red Guards that they'd have to face the traitorous CROWs.

The battle started in that very moment, the Red Guards still trapped by Apocryphos' strings, and Komui gazed down from the office with a slight frown. They'd handle the army, but it'd be up to the Exorcists to take care of the rest.

 _Good luck._

* * *

All of those who had escaped Apocryphos' trap were now standing on the sidelines of a very familiar place.

"Never thought we'd come back here" muttered Allen.

Edo, which had been wiped out by the Earl months sooner, now laid before them. They had chosen this specific site, hoping to not get innocents trapped in the crossfire.

At the very opposite of their position, their enemy stood, accompanied by fifteen or so unidentified persons hidden under heavy cloaks, along with a hundred more CROWs and Red Guards.

::

 _"_ _There is one more trick up Apocryphos' sleeve"_

 _"_ _Which would be?"_

 _"_ _The Fourths Exorcists"_

 _Everyone stiffened at the name, and Leverrier's eyes narrowed._

 _"_ _Explain yourself" he ordered coldly._

 _"_ _Apocryphos has bestowed upon a chosen few the power of the Exorcists he has taken over the years. However, while the forced synchronization worked out, they still aren't in very good control and could, at any moment, be consumed by their newfound strength"_

 _"_ _It'll be fine" Aryane shrugged. "Fourths or not, they won't beat the originals. We're just awesome like that. Well, for us, at least. I don't know about Jerkface"_

 _"_ _Fuck off, Akahato"_

::

As the two parties stared each other down without making any move, the last part of the crew joined in. The Noahs appeared with their portals, the Earl floating above them as thousands of Akumas filled the sky.

Ironically, it wasn't night, and a nice sun was showering them with tender rays.

 _Perfect day to end it all,_ thought Tiedoll with a small smile.

Everyone was present, now, but none was making the first move, knowing that, once the final game had started, it would only stop with one victor and the corpses of the losers.

For the Exorcists, the plan was quite simple. Each had been strategically assigned a target. While the CROWs present, Tewaku, Madarao, Tokusa and Link fought off the Akumas, the rest of the Red Guards along with the Fourths, the Exorcists would take care of the Noahs. Allen, or rather Nea, would face the Earl immediately. The sooner he killed him, the sooner it'd be over. As for Aryane and Gabriel, they'd be heading for the big bad wolf.

"Let's go"

The order was barely a whisper, but all heard it and, following the red-haired girl's command, they launched their attack.

 _Beginning of the end, uh, Hime?_

 _Quite poetic. But you're right. Let's just hope the new beginning will be a good one._

* * *

Lenalee and Timothy were the firsts to reach their target. Facing an apparently bored Lulubell, they were ready to give their all to this fight.

Timothy's body slumped to the ground, but rose back up again, now possessed by Tsukikami. All knew the dangers of leaving his body unprotected, and it wasn't exactly the best of places to abandon it to the mercy of any enemy that'd stumble upon it.

Lenalee activated her Innocence while the boy came back, having possessed a Level Three –he worked hard for that one. As soon as he showed up, though, the Noah seemed to have had enough of waiting and morphed into her dragon form. Was it because it was her strongest, or as a last tribute to the deceased Mimi that, despite all, she had grown attached too, no one would ever be able to tell.

Lenalee clenched her fists, then exchanged a glance with Timothy, who nodded back. Understanding the signal, she jumped.

::

 _"_ _We have to plan this carefully. Lulubell is very strong, and fast. She will more than probably turn into the dragon form Lenalee described to us sooner, or change into one of us to distract. We have to use each situation to our advantage" remarked Klaud, tapping her chin._

 _"_ _If she tries to confuse us by taking the appearance of one of us, then we can settle on a code word or gesture" proposed Lavi._

 _"_ _And while her dragon form is strong, she won't have the same speed" added Allen. "Nor the same freedom of movements. If someone attacks her frontally, she'll have to focus her attention on that person, while another attacks from the bottom"_

 _"_ _A pair, then" nodded Reever. "The two should be fast, and capable of attaining great heights. Also, you mentioned her arms turning in whips sooner. This means that the two should also be able to avoid them in the blink of an eye, and-"_

 _"_ _I'll do it"_

 _Startled, all turned to Lenalee, who had spoken. Her brother opened his mouth, as if to emit a protest, and she stood up._

 _"_ _I'll do it" she repeated, more firmly. "With_ Dark Boots, _I'd easily be able to take her head-on while deflecting her own attacks, and I'd be more than fast enough. I can do this. Plus, I want to get her back for Mei-Ling"_

 _Silence lingered for a moment, before Aryane sighed._

 _"_ _She's right. Thinking strategically, she's the best choice we have. And, if I may add something… Timothy would be the perfect partner"_

 _"_ _EH!?"_

 _"_ _Timothy!?"_

 _"_ _M-me!?"_

 _She shrugged._

 _"_ _Taking control of a Level Three should give him great firepower, shouldn't it? Then while Lenalee attacks by the air, he'll attack by the ground. Tsukikami can get his body to safety while they fight, and they already know how to battle with each other, which can only be benefic"_

 _All took the time to consider her words, but came to the same conclusion, and the young boy bit his lower lip, before tightening his fist._

 _"_ _I'll do it too!"_

 _Komui sighed, pushing up his glasses._

 _"_ _Very well. Lenalee, Timothy, you are to target Lulubell. Please, be careful"_

 _"_ _Hai!"_

::

"Waltz: _Mist_ _Wind_!" she exclaimed.

The attack, enhanced by her Crystal type, hit its target and a screech escaped the beast as the wind knocked her aside.

 _That's for Mei-Ling!_

Lulubell moved her giant tail, sending it crash on the girl, who jumped once more to avoid the attack. Using the tail to propel herself, she then hit it under the jaw harsh enough to force it closed.

Down below, Timothy wasn't sitting on the sidelines either. Having possessed a Level Three, he had more than enough firepower to do his part. Shooting what seemed to be electrical beams, Lulubell's scales sizzled as the energy ran up her paws and sides.

Instantly, the Noah shifted into Lenalee. Running to the real one before any of them could react, she was quick to mess with the boy's head as she attacked the female Exorcists. Timothy watched everything unfold with a slight panic.

 _Who's the real one!?_

He soon found back his calm, though. They had covered this possibility in one of the numerous plans they had set up, and knew very well what to do. So, without any more hesitation, he closed his fist and started charging as much energy as he could. After a few seconds, knowing he wouldn't be able to take more of the burning beam, he started running towards the two. Seeing him coming, one of the Lenalee grabbed the other by the shoulders and forced her around to use as a human shield.

Her fingers twitched two times.

Instantly, Timothy jumped while the real Lenalee got out of the clone's hold and turned the situation around, kicking her in the chin. Forced away, she barely moved in time to avoid the boy's attack.

Electricity crackled, and the smell of freshly burned flesh rose in the air as the Noah, finding back her original form, narrowed her eyes at them, her arm injured.

Victorious, the two Exorcists exchanged a grin.

 _We can do this,_ Lenalee took a deep breath. _We don't even have to beat her. We just have to make some time._

And she jumped yet again.

* * *

Marie and Maashiima faced each other for a few seconds. Then, the Noah ran to him, brass knuckles glinting in the sunlight. The blind man, hearing him approaching, easily avoided the attack.

::

 _"_ _Maashiima is awfully strong" said Aryane, rubbing her jaw with a slight wince. "Uses brass knuckles or sheer strength. I haven't fought him, though, so I really can't tell more than that"_

 _"_ _He's mocking" said Madarao in his usual calmness. "Strong, and extremely aware of it. However, he's not much without said strength. He has good stamina, and can fight somewhat, but has no other attacks"_

 _"_ _And he's arrogant as hell" added Tokusa with annoyance._

 _"_ _That's rich coming from you, Kermit" taunted the red-haired Exorcist._

 _"_ _Why you-"_

 _"_ _We need someone with good stamina, then, and who'd be able to avoid getting hit while attacking" resumed Tewaku, cutting through the oncoming bickering._

 _"_ _What about Marie?" proposed Tiedoll with a smile. "He doesn't have the same strength, but probably possesses the same stamina, if not more. With his enhanced hearing, he'd easily be able to avoid getting hit, and his_ Noel Organon _would be able to gain the upper hand over Maashiima if needed"_

 _They all nodded at his reasoning. It made sense. The concerned man simply agreed._

 _"_ _I see no problem with that"_

 _There was a moment of silence, before Aryane snorted._

 _"_ _This is probably the worst pun I've ever heard, Cherub" she snickered._

 _He merely smiled._

::

Avoiding another punch, he hit the Noah's legs, sending him tumbling on the ground. Apparently miffed at being overpowered by a blind human, an Exorcist nonetheless, Maashiima got back up and tightened his fists so hard they cracked.

"Stop running around like a coward" he grunted. "Fight me!"

Marie didn't move an inch, keeping a relaxed posture with his hands in his back. Deeply annoyed, the Seventh Disciple launched once more. However, as his fist was about to crash on the man's face, his arm stopped moving.

Struggling against the invisible bindings now keeping him in place, he then realized he had been trapped all along. While Marie dodged his attacks and moved around with a minimum of energy, he used the lack of attention of the Noah to ensnare him with _Noel Organon._

Now angry, Maashiima gathered his strength, and broke the strings in one go, jumping away. They faced once more but, this time, all arrogance had vanished from his traits. His expression now guarded, he eyed the Exorcist before him with newfound suspicion, and a glint or respect despite all.

It had been a while since he had had a fight worth of mentioning.

Marie knew the trick wouldn't work twice, but he had many more up his sleeves. He only had to be patient, and conserve his energy.

 _As long as I'm not hit, I have a chance,_ he assured himself. _And one chance is all I need._

He raised his hands before him, his Innocence glowing around his fingers.

* * *

"Eh? You're the mind-rapist Ary was talking about?"

Wisely's right eye twitched as he stood before the ash-skinned Exorcist with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I am _not-_ "

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just fight" drawled Sokaro.

::

 _"_ _The mind-rapist isn't a fighter type. He said so himself when they awoke Alma. His specialty is on the mental front. He can read your mind, hence the nickname, but can't wrestle to save his life. Like, seriously not" resumed Aryane._

 _"_ _Someone unpredictable, who won't easily loose control of his mind" hummed Bak._

 _After a few seconds, all heads turned to Sokaro, who blinked at them._

 _"_ _Well, he's already mad, so there isn't much for Wisely to mess with" Lavi pointed out._

 _"_ _Aw, come on!" whined the Marshall. "I wanted an exciting fight!"_

 _"_ _Well, it just means you'll get rid of him easily" shrugged Komui. "Once done, you'll be able to join another fight to help out"_

 _The white-eyed man muttered some curses under his breath._

::

"I'm not much of a fighter" Wisely shrugged, sitting down. "So why don't you just stay still or something?"

As soon as he finished his sentence, his Third Eye opened and trapped Sokaro's mind. The man stiffened, eyes wide. Processing through the natural mind barriers with ease and bringing down anything he could find in the man's head, Wisely scoffed, knowing he'd already won. So much for that big tal-

"Fuck off!"

Startled as his hold over the Exorcist's mind broke, he stared at him with wide eyes. How could it be? In the few seconds he passed inside, he had destroyed more than half of his mind!

"What- how? You should already have gone mad!" he protested.

Sokaro merely grinned.

"That's the problem, kid. You see… I'm already mad!"

He started cackling. Sweatdropping a little at this… display, Wisely tried to read his thoughts so as to know what would happen next. He knew very well how madness rend people unpredictable, and he didn't want to loose anymore time than he already had. So, taking a short breath, he took the plunge.

The Noah instantly pulled out, coughing as if he just nearly drowned. He couldn't read the Marshall's mind, for it was utter chaos. While pushing through to destroy a spirit was fairly easy, reading the thoughts was another thing. Sokaro didn't have any screw loose, the whole thing was equal to madness, and the crazy within had been choking the teen as he felt his own mind get swallowed by the other one. Now annoyed, Wisely scowled at the still cackling Exorcist.

He could already feel a headache coming.

* * *

"A-are they…"

"Yes"

Miranda bit her lower lip, sending a wary glance at the two Noahs farther away. They seemed bored out of their mind, leaning against each other without a care in the world with their guns loosely hanging from their hands.

Next to her, Krory was calm. He already fought Jasdevi once, back when they were trapped on the Ark. He won, he knew he did, even if he couldn't remember much of it, and this mere assurance was enough for him. Even if they had grown stronger, and probably matured somewhat, he had too.

"Oi, brats!" he called, gaining their attention. "Remember me?"

They glared at him, pointing their guns at the man.

"Who're you calling brats, monster!?" they retorted in one voice.

At that, his lips twitched in an arrogant smirk. In the end, they hadn't changed that much. He could easily work with that, and with Miranda to cover his back, it'd be a piece of cake.

::

 _"_ _I want to fight Jasdevi"_

 _Silence ensued Krory's demand, and Komui narrowed his eyes somewhat._

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _I fought them once" he answered. "I know how to match them. My Innocence is the best match we'll find to go against them. I have greater stamina, strength and speed than before. I can take them on"_

 _"_ _They must've grown stronger too, though" remarked Lenalee._

 _"_ _I've won last time" the aristocrat replied._

 _"_ _It didn't exactly ended well for you either. You were in a coma for weeks, Crow-chan!" Lavi exclaimed, frowning._

 _"_ _But he's right" Aryane replied, thinking. "They've grown stronger, yes, but they haven't changed that much. They've got the puberty finally kicking in but, other than that, they've still got that awful attitude. Buffy could take care of them"_

 _"_ _It'd be dangerous to gamble on them working as one again" Bookman pointed out. "They might try to attack from two different points"_

 _"_ _It won't happen" assured Allen. "The twins are stronger in their Jasdevi form. This is the last battle, they'll go all out. They can't risk failure, even if it's a slight percentage. They'll be together"_

 _"_ _We can't send him alone" refused Bak. "From what you've all reported, Devit and Jasdero are of the strongest of the Noahs. No matter how strong Krory is, we can't risk him facing them on his own"_

 _"_ _My fighting style doesn't work well with others, though" the vampire-like man frowned slightly._

 _Miranda bit her lower lip as everyone tried to find a solution that would bring a maximum of advantage. Facing one of the strongest Noah scared her, but she knew that one way or another, she'd have to fight too._

 _Steeling her resolve, she raised a shaking hand._

 _"_ _I-I can do it" she said, her voice almost a whisper._

 _However, they all heard her, and she felt their eyes weight on her. Starting to panic –had she overstep some boundaries?-, she tried to justify her proposition._

 _"_ _I-I'm not the fi-fighter type" she recalled to the others. "If I-I stay on the sidelines, I'll b-be able to b-back up K-Krory if he ne-needs cover or such…"_

 _"_ _It's a great idea, Mira-chan!" beamed Aryane._

 _"_ _Then it is settled" nodded Bak, writing something down on his notepad. "Krory, Miranda, you'll handle Jasdevi"_

::

Now seeing them before her, though, Miranda felt like she was in the wrong place. Krory was strong, like everyone else, but her? Her insignificant power could merely heal, and it was only temporary!

Her hands started shaking, and she gulped as they started approaching.

 _I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't-_

"Miranda"

"H-hai!" she jumped at her partner's voice.

He shot her a reassuring smile.

"It'll be fine"

She blinked at him surprised, then felt a calming numbness taking over her body. The woman never was confident in herself but, right now, it wasn't the time to doubt herself. She had to help Krory in whatever way she could, and she would.

Taking a sharp intake of breath, determination settled in her eyes and, in one movement, the both of them activated their Innocence.

The twins shot themselves and, soon, the Exorcists faced the Tenth Apostle. Placing his hands on his hips, he sneered their way.

"Think you can take us on?" he asked, two voices echoing as one.

"I've won last time, if I remember correctly" Krory cracked his knuckles. "I guess you brats didn't learn your lesson, uh?"

Fury burned in his golden orbs, and his hair shot their way like spears.

"Don't look down on us!" they exclaimed angrily. "You're only a monster, nothing else!"

The vampire-like man easily jumped away, and Miranda raised her _Time Shield_ to block the attack. However, they weren't paying attention to the woman. The humiliation of their last encounter still itching their pride, they had eyes only for the male Exorcist.

"Die, monster!" they snarled.

Moving through the attacks with ease, Krory fastened his pace, before jumping at the Noah and kicking him in the face. Taking a step back, it only fueled their desire for his blood. Before the man could react, his leg was trapped by another strand of blond hair and he felt himself being lifted from the ground.

"Caught you!" they chanted.

Sending him crashing on the ground, a small explosion followed his landing as, not letting him the time to react, they attacked once more. Pummeling the man to the ground, their fist suddenly encountered an unknown obstacle and cracked.

Cringing at the sudden pain, they backed away on a few meters as the dust settled down, revealing Miranda, who was standing between them and their prey. Her Innocence had formed a shield around them, and seemed to heal the few injuries Krory had earned in the short fight from sooner.

"You're pathetic!" taunted Jasdevi, seeing her hands shake. "Terrified, ain't ya?"

"I-it doesn't matter!" she replied, her voice stronger than she really felt. "I-I'm weak, but it w-won't stop me from helping m-my friends!"

An hand on her shoulder, Krory grinned, showing his fangs.

"Let's do this, Miranda. For the world, and our friends"

"H-hai!"

* * *

Kanda faced Toraido, both sporting their usual poker face, none of them making the first move. Then, barely a second later, their respective swords clashed against each other. Not a word was uttered between the two, none seeing the point in conversing with their opponent.

::

 _"_ _We know basically nothing about this one" Aryane let out an annoyed sigh. "Just that he uses a sword. It'd be dangerous for any of us to face h-"_

 _"_ _Leave him to me"_

 _All pondered the situation for a moment, and the red-haired girl nodded half-heartedly._

 _"_ _Well, he is a swordsman, and he won't die easily due to his Second Exorcist nature" Marie pointed out._

 _Nothing more had to be said. Kanda would take care of Toraido, and that was that._

::

Kanda made a faint to the head, but slashed at the shoulder a second before. Easily blocking his attack, the Noah then went for the discovered throat. Kanda thought about avoiding, before realizing his adversary's mistake. Letting the blade pass through his neck with a cringe, he used the momentum to pass _Mugen_ right through Toraido's heart. There was a moment where the time seemed to stop, before the Exorcist's Innocence activated and destroyed the Noah from the inside.

Falling to the ground as the Second Apostle's body disappeared in a swirl of black dust. He waited a few seconds for his throat to heal, before getting up and seething his sword back. Then, without a glance behind, he headed towards the nearest battle to help out Lenalee and Timothy.

* * *

"Ooh? You're my opponent, then?" cooed Sheryl.

"It would appear so" Tiedoll smiled pleasantly. "The others seem to have started. Shall we as well?"

"Why not? It _is_ the reason why we're here, after all"

Instantly, Tiedoll called forth his giants. Three of them appeared, he sent two of them after the Akumas and the third one to face Sheryl.

::

 _"_ _Sheryl is, without a doubt, one of the most dangerous of the Noahs" announced Aryane, serious. "He can control anything around him like puppets, and the only thing he can't use those against is Innocence. My armor and Shield are good examples. Anyone who can't have some sort of Innocence protection will be at great disadvantage"_

 _"_ _Those left are Tiedoll Marshall, Klaud Marshall, Lavi and Bookman" frowned slightly Komui. "Lavi and Bookman confronted him once, I believe? Their Innocence won't do any good against him if he can so easily deflect their attack or take away their weapons. And while Lau Shimin is, in a way, Innocence, he is still a real monkey, so Sheryl would be able to manipulate him"_

 _"_ _Well, guess it'll be me, then" Tiedoll smiled calmly._

::

The Marshall felt more than saw the Noah's strings trying to attach themselves to him. However, he raised _Garden Of Eden_ at the last second, easily blocking them as the giant attacked Adam's Apostle.

 _There isn't much I can do,_ he thought, sitting down and pulling drawing set from his bag. _I guess I'll just have to wait._

* * *

"Is that the best you can do, Bookmen~?" taunted Road, sitting on Lero without much of a care about her two opponents.

Next to her, Fiidora pulled his tongue at Lavi, who shuddered, creeped out by the eyeballs apparently looking at him from the… thing.

::

 _"_ _Road… well, we'll have to keep her close enough to Nea's fight" Aryane stifled a yawn, growing tired. "That way, she can interfere if needed. Don't delusion yourselves, though. If she gets a chance to kill you, she'll take it while laughing maniacally. As for Fiidora… to be honest, I don't know anything about him. Well, except for the eyeballs on his tongue. If one of those get in you, he can kill you or make you suffer or something like that. Nasty little things…"_

 _"_ _I've already fought Road, back on the Ark" remarked Lavi. "And Fiidora was there when they tortured us too. Jiji can take the eyeballs out if needed, and Road can't get in his head either. Mine's better protected too. We can tag-team on them"_

 _"_ _It's the best course of action" nodded the red-haired girl._

 _Unbeknownst to the two redheads, the rest of the group –saved for Bookman- flinched when the apprentice mentioned the torture episode. They all felt terrible for not getting them out, all three of them, along with the Thirds, sooner. However, the couple talked about it as if nothing even happened, which seriously made them wonder if they had lost their sanity_ before _being captured._

 _"_ _It is decided, then" Bookman sighed, resigned. "We will take on Road and Fiidora"_

::

Lavi clenched his hand around his hammer, his knuckles turning white. He knew Road wouldn't be able to get in his head as easily as she did back on the Ark. Growing as a Bookman, he had not only developed the telepathic connection he shared with his grandfather, but also strong mental walls to keep his mind safe. He had passed many months working on them with the help of Ary before the Alma-Karma-Incident even happened, and he kept strengthening them ever since.

 _And no matter what… I know her tricks. I know I failed as a Bookman, but I don't regret it._

At that, his rip relaxed somewhat, and he fall in a less tense fighting stance. His grandfather shot him a look, but said something.

 _I don't regret it,_ repeated the redhead to himself, his sole green eye animated by a spark of determination. _And as Ary so well said many times before: if you don't regret, than it was the good choice._

"HIBAN!"

* * *

"My, my, I get the lovely ladies all to myself? Lucky~" Tyki raised an eyebrow, tapping his chin with a slight smirk.

For snarled his way, easily remembering their last encounter at the American Branch, and Klaud merely glared. Then, the Guardian Deity changed her arms in blades, and the Marshall took out her whip, before Lau Shimin turned into his Innocence combat form.

::

 _"_ _That leaves Klaud Marshall with Tyki, then" stated Komui, brows furrowing._

 _"_ _I'll be honest, I don't really feel confortable with that" sighed the Savior, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mikk's a real bastard, but he's awfully strong. Not only his Teez are dangerous, but his Noah abilities makes it nearly impossible to injure him. He can't pass through Innocence, but he's an excellent close-ranged fighter. You're a long-ranged fighter, so it really isn't the best-"_

 _"_ _I'll assist her"_

 _"_ _F-For!?"_

 _At Bak's exclamation, they all looked at the Deity, who harbored a serious expression._

 _"_ _I'll fight him too" she repeated. "I'm a close-ranged fighter too. I can distract him while Klaud Marshall attacks with Lau Shimin"_

 _"_ _I guess it's the best way…" relented Komui._

 _"_ _What!?" exclaimed Bak once more. "For! You can't- you can't possibly go out there! You're not an Exorcist! You'll be killed on the spot!"_

 _"_ _If I don't do this, then we might as well be killed later" she barked back. "We need all the forces we can get right now! Me fighting might won't make much of a difference against the Noahs, but it still gives us one more chance! And trust me, we need a hell-of-a-lot of chance if we want to win this stupid war!"_

 _They glared at each other for a moment, before Bak sighed and nodded his head, agreeing to let her go. With a huff and a slight scowl, For then left the room._

 _She had some training to do._

::

For was the first to strike. Running ahead, she immediately engaged Tyki in a fast-paced exchange of blows and kicks. Not being entirely human, For was less affected by the Noah's abilities. However, while he wasn't able to land a true hit on her, she couldn't even touch him either. Her attacks passed through him as if he was a mere ghost, which was starting to piss her off.

There was a snap. The Third Apostle's eyes widened, a flash of pain and irritation lightening his golden orbs for barely a second, but it was enough. Instantly, For jumped away as Klaud cracked her whip once more.

 _Seems like he can't use_ Choose _for two different purposes, as we suspected,_ noted the Marshall, the corner of her lips tugging upwards. _If he uses it to defend himself from For's blows, he can't block my whip._

The two woman exchanged a glance, Klaud nodded.

 _Time to bring in the third party._

"Innocence: activate!"

Lau Shimin instantly took on his combat form.

"Three against one, uh?" Tyki clicked his tongue, more wary now.

While there was no doubt he was one of the strongest of the Noahs, three against one still wasn't a fight in his favor.

The man cracked his fingers one after the other.

 _Well, well. Seems like I'll have to actually put in some efforts after all._

* * *

"Ugh, there's too many of them" grunted Tokusa, using another batch of Feathers.

Making so many had probably been one of the best ideas they ever had. At the rhythm everything was going, they would have run out after two minutes with what they had to begin with.

The green-haired boy was pushed aside by Link as an Akuma started shooting their way, and the other two siblings took it down.

"Focus!" barked the blond Inspector.

::

 _"_ _Most of the Red Guards will be trapped in the Ark. The CROWs and the scientists will take care of them. However, their will still be the rest of the army outside. We will still have the rest of the CROWs as back-up, but with the Fourth Exorcists and the Akumas of all for Levels…" Leverrier trailed off, frowning._

 _"_ _It'll be a tight fit" agreed the black-haired girl, biting her lower lip._

 _"_ _We can do it!" instantly assured Tewaku._

 _"_ _But-"_

 _"_ _You do your job, Exorcists, and we'll do ours" Tokusa rolled his eyes._

 _"_ _We_ are _the elite, after all" shrugged Link._

 _"_ _Leave it to us" concluded Madarao._

 _Aryane looked at each of them for barely a second, before sighing and giving in._

::

They hadn't encountered any Fourth for the moment, but they knew it was only a matter of time. All around, CROWs were taking down Akuma after Akuma, all the Red Guards having been taken care of at the very beginning, but their clearly were loosing.

They weren't Exorcists, after all.

Suddenly, the ground exploded between the four of them, sending them flying. When they got back on their feet, a Level Three was cackling madly, apparently coming from underground.

Link gritted his teeth. They didn't stand a chance against a Level Three, of all things.

"NOW DIE!" screeched the clown-like weapon.

Before the blast could reach Tewaku, though, a cloaked figure stood in between and effectively blocked the attack with some sort of spear, which was glowing.

 _Innocence,_ she realized, looking up at her unknown savior. _Wait… Fourth!?_

"Are you alright?" it was a girl around her age.

"What-"

Before she could finish her sentence, another of the cloaked figures, which she now recognized as Fourth Exorcists, destroyed a Level Two that was about to kill Tokusa, who had been knocked out by the previous sneak attack.

"It's either we fight with you against these monsters, or we kill each other and the Earl wins" remarked the girl, extending her hand to the blonde. "So?"

There was a moment of hesitation, before the teen grinned and grabbed the hand.

 _Well, guess the wind is turning after all._

* * *

"Allen Walker~" chanted the Earl, in his clown appearance. "Good afternoon~"

"Good afternoon, Earl" greeted calmly the white-haired boy.

Without another word, he activated _Crown Clown_ and pulled out the sword from his arm –or did his arm transformed in a sword?- before brandishing it the Earl's way.

"My, my" chuckled darkly the First Apostle. "My final opponent will be the boy who caused this mayhem in the first place, uh?"

"Not exactly"

::

 _"_ _The Earl will come, obviously" said Aryane with a 'duh' tone. "Kiddo will keep his word, I believe?"_

 _"_ _Of course" the boy rolled his eyes. "Nea's all pumped up, too"_

 _"_ _Then we leave it to you" she nodded. "Road will come in if Nea's about to be killed, so you have a potential back-up if needed. I also ask for the rest of you not to intervene in this fight, unless it is clear that the Earl is winning"_

 _They all agreed, knowing they'd more than probably have their hands full with their own fights anyway._

 _For a second, Aryane and Allen locked eyes. Sadness filled her eyes, even though she was smiling._

 _He simply smiled back, resigned but determined._

::

The cursed boy let out a deep breath.

 _Nea?_

 _Ready._

Not bothering with one last look around, the teen let go of consciousness and let himself slip in his mindscape. On the way there, Nea smiled brightly at him.

 _"_ _Thank you, Allen"_

"Go get him" he simply ordered.

The Noah effected a cheeky salute, before taking over. When he opened his eyes, they were golden.

"The Fourteenth…" muttered the Earl.

To say he was surprised would be an understanding. Who would have thought the damn boy would let the Fourteenth take over so easily?

Nea readjusted his grip on the sword, the mask of _Crown Clown_ falling in place upon his face.

"I've kept you waiting ong enough, Earl" he stated with a half-smirk. "How about we end this for good?"

The Duke of Millennium started cackling. Then, in a flash of light, his own sword clashed with Nea's.

* * *

 _It's time._

 _I know._

"Hello, Michael"

Aryane turned around to face none other than Apocryphos.

She was calm, collected.

It was now or never.

::

 _"_ _And that leaves Apocryphos to Gab and me" she concluded with an heavy sigh. "We already know what to do. We'll just need the perfect opening. When we do find it, we'll use the Spell to pull out the Heart. It will also call forth the four pieces of the Case. Once we get the Heart, the Innocence will release itself and destroy all Dark Matter in the vicinity. Otherwise said, all Akumas. It'll also weaken the Earl for a second: that's when Nea will have to strike"_

 _"_ _Got it" nodded Allen._

 _"_ _Lenalee, Krory, Kanda, Lavi" then called the dark-haired girl._

 _They stiffened at their names, knowing she was now very serious._

 _"_ _Make sure to get away from combats once the Spell is casted" she ordered. "You'll loose a great deal of energy when the Case is reformed, what with you being the current Host Bodies"_

 _"_ _Hai!"_

 _"_ _Then… that is all" she rubbed her temples._

 _A moment later, a smile stretched her lips as fire blazed her eyes._

 _"_ _Let's end this damn war"_

::

"Where's little Gabby?" taunted Apocryphos.

The girl's eyes glowed.

 _"_ _I'_ m _r_ i _g_ h _t_ h _e_ r _e"_

"Oh? I see" chuckled the fallen Angel, taking on his Innocence form. "It would seem… your fusion is complete… what a surprise… you've found your match… dear brother of mine?"

"E _n_ o _u_ g _h_ c _h_ i _t_ -c _h_ a _t_ " they grunted. "W _e_ d _e_ l _a_ y _e_ d _t_ h _i_ s _l_ o _n_ g _e_ n _o_ u _g_ h. _Silversword!_ "

The pendant turned into the Innocence-sword as the armor and the gantlets appeared on the girl's torso and forearms.

Cackling like a madman, Apocryphos ran at them. They blocked the attack with barely a second to spare, before avoiding a kick to the ribs and a punch coming for the head. Ducking, they tried to pierce the chest, before backing away at the last second and slashing the hand trying to grab Ary's head.

The hand fell on the ground, but no blood came out.

 _That's just nasty._

 _Hime, not the time._

"Ooh? You've gotten better since last time" grinned toothily Michael.

"Of course we have" scoffed Aryane.

 _"_ _We're just that amazing"_ added Gabriel.

 _Ooh, I'm really starting to rub off on you, aren't I?_

 _Shush._

They clashed yet again. Pain flared in Aryane's back as her Innocence reacted to the Heart being so close, but she pushed it aside. Activating her wings, she gained some speed and started her own attacks while Gabriel took care of blocking the Heart's influence at the best of his abilities.

Kick, hit, kick, drop, slash, block, block, kick, hit, hit, slash, drop, there was not a second of rest for the teen as they exchanged blow after blow, their strength on par with each other's.

Kicking the ground, Aryane flew far above. Grinning maniacally, Apocryphos' back then split in two, letting out two weird wings composed of Innocence, flesh and whatnot. Then, he flew up to meet her, and they were at it again.

She wasn't giving any ground, though.

"Die!" he snarled. "Why can't you just die!?"

She cut his arm clean. It fell down as a new one grew back.

"Funny, you wouldn't be the first to ask" she retorted cheekily.

His fist connected with her chest. The armor blocked most of the blow, but it still forced her to back away on a few meters. Seeing the opening, Michael flew at her at a speed she couldn't follow with her eyes.

But of course, she didn't need them.

Sensing his malicious aura coming, she quite easily dodged the sneak attack coming from behind and, without loosing a second, cut off one of the wings. He screeched in pain, crashing on the ground and causing a small explosion. Aryane cringed, feeling slightly bad.

She knew what it was like to have a wing ripped off, after all.

 _You really are too kind, you know that?_

 _Whatever._

Apocryphos got back to his feet, face downcast. He was shaking, the wing growing back with a weird sound that made the girl gag a little.

"I wanted… peace… why can't you… understand…" he muttered under his breath. "You're… a threat… I'll kill… you… I'll kill you… I'll… kill… you! Die! DIE, DIE, DIE!"

He raised his arms, his eyes rolling in their sockets.

"What-"

Her breath hitched as pain erupted once more.

 _He's calling for the Innocence!_

She knew she'd be fine. She knew her friends would be fine. They were all Exorcists, chosen and blessed by God to save the world.

It wasn't the same with a few others, though.

 _The Fourths!_

Horrible screams echoed from all around at once, putting all fights to an halt for a few seconds. The Fourth Exorcists, scattered no the battlefield, fell one after the other as the Innocence that had been forced in their bodies was called back forcefully.

An eerie silence fell, before the fighting started again.

 _He… killed them?_

 _Hime! Snap out of it!_

Too caught up in the moment, she couldn't avoid the attack in time and was sent crashing on the ground. She cringed, but didn't let out more than a whimper. She had been through worse, after all.

Getting back on her feet, she clenched her fists.

 _I won't let their deaths be vain._

By taking back the Innocence, Apocryphos had gain in strength and speed. She was now at a clear disadvantage, and knew she wouldn't be able to keep up. With the Heart trying to reunite with her own Innocence, she was loosing much more energy than planned, and she couldn't fully fuse with Gabriel yet, since they would need as much energy as they could for the Spell.

Gritting her teeth, she flew back and clashed with Michael once more.

They'd just have to find a way.

* * *

Hevlaska saw it all.

Being connected to Innocence the way she was, she knew exactly what was going on.

They were _loosing_.

Because of the Heart, the fights were much harder than they thought they'd be, and the Exorcists were starting to grow tired.

None of them would back down.

Hardening her resolve, the woman allowed a smile to stretch her lips as the Innocence stored in her body started glowing softly.

 _It is time… to do my part…_

They glowed brighter.

 _Good luck… Exorcists…_

All turned white.

* * *

Aryane gasped, her breath taken away for a second.

Then, energy started to fill her and, next thing she knew, she felt as if she hadn't fought at all. _Archangel_ was back to normal, less agitated, and her sore muscles were no more than a bad memory.

Searching for her friends' auras, she realized the same had happened to them and, after a confused second, understood what had happened.

With a soft smile, she fall back in stance.

 _Thank you, Hevlaska._

With the new energy boost, she could more easily keep up with him. On par yet again, she could tell he was growing more and more irritated by the situation.

A kick that made her ribs crack sent her on the ground once more. Not even letting her time to get up, the fallen Angel darted down on her, coming at full speed with the clear intent to finally end it.

Her eyes widened.

 _Ary!_

 _I know!_

Moving aside at the last second, she plunged _Silversword_ through his heart. Their was a moment of stillness as his eyes widened.

Fright was clear in his eyes.

 _Now!_

 _"_ _TraeH!"_

The wound started glowing. Apocryphos tried to pull away, but the sword was stuck and Aryane sure-as-hell wasn't about to let go.

 _"_ _Dlrow siht ot ecnalab Gnirb dna swodahs eht raelc, esoprup ruoy niatta"_

"DIE!"

In a frenetic and desperate tentative, Apocryphos plunged his own hand through Aryane's chest, but she didn't waver.

 _"_ _Eeht htrof llac I!"_

With a brutal twist of the sword, she opened the wound even more, ignoring the blood pouring from her own and dripping between her lips.

 _"_ _Enihs!"_

There was a blast of blinding light, and the Heart fell in her grasp. It was like any other Innocence piece, when you looked at it.

But they all knew better than that.

It started beating like a real heart as Aryane, pushing Apocryphos away, got back on wobbly legs and raised her hand high. It beat fasted in her palm. Then, a ruby flew by and stuck against it. Then another. And another. And another. The Case now secured around it, the glow only got stronger, forcing the teen to close her eyes.

 _Ary…_

 _Wait for me up there, will you?_

 _Of course._

* * *

The Exorcists and Noahs alike didn't really know what actually happened. All too focused on their own fights, they only realized what exactly was going on when a bright light blinded everyone, forcing the fights to stop once more.

Lenalee, Krory, Kanda and Lavi all knew, though, what with the Pieces leaving their bodies not a few seconds sooner.

There were explosions. One after the other, all the Akumas were destroyed by the Innocence blast.

"No!" screeched the Earl.

In his anger, the weaker state promised by Aryane went out of the window. He struck down Nea.

"I won't allow it!" he snarled, sending his own sword down.

Nea's eyes widened. He couldn't escaped it.

Then, the blade stopped, barely an inch from his head. Gasping, his eyes fell on Road, who seemed to have captured the Earl in one of her Dreams.

"Do it!" she yelled, fear lacing her voice.

Tightening his grip on his own sword, he didn't think twice before cutting the Earl clean in two.

There was no blood, no gasp. The glasses fell as the Earl found back his human form. Then, his golden eyes wide, more of surprise than anything else, he fell back. His body started dissolving in some sort of black dust, taken away by the wind.

Thus was the end of the Millennium Earl.

Road fell on her knees, forgetting all about her own fight. Tears started streaming down her face. Was it her Noah crying for the loss of their Master, was it herself regretting her treason, or was it merely relief to see Nea win, none would ever be able to tell.

 _Allen?_

 _Thank you, Nea. Good luck._

 _No. Thank_ you. _Say hi to Gabriel for me, would you?_

 _Sure thing._

The deal was to let Nea fight the Earl. After that, Allen would die. However, if they hadn't even thought about letting him take back control, even only for him to say goodbye, was because of a very simple reason: Nea was the one who killed the Earl. Nea was the new Millennium Earl. If Allen took over, even just for a second, then the Noahs would be allowed to kill him.

They couldn't afford that. Not now, nor ever.

As the white-haired boy fully let go, a single tear ran down Nea's face.

* * *

The Noahs had retreated. The Akumas were all destroyed. All of the Fourths were dead. The CROWs and Central's army was gathering what was left of the survivors farther away, a gate having been opened and letting the troupes trapped on the Ark get out safely.

As for the Exorcists…

"Ary? Ary!"

They couldn't find her.

The Exorcists had been searching for a few minutes now, but couldn't find her, and she wasn't answering their calls either. Was she unconscious? More than probably, what with the energy she spent on this fight.

But still…

Lavi clenched his fist.

 _Don't think about it._

"I FOUND HER!"

At Lenalee's cry, his heart missed a beat.

Why was Lenalee crying?

Running, ahead of the others, he soon found the Chinese girl kneeling next to none other than Aryane. Her red hair, messy as ever, was lying on the ground, and Lavi had to look twice to realize that blood was mixed with it.

Lots of blood.

"Ary?" his voice was shaking.

He knew the signs. He knew what they meant. Too many times, he saw that blood. Too many times, he saw that skin turning white. Too many times, he saw those eyes closing and never opening again. Too many times… those had been his worst nightmares.

And now? Now, the nightmares were reality.

"Ary!"

He fell on his knees next to the unmoving girl as Lenalee only sobbed harder. Placing the teen's head on his lap, he tried to find a sign, just one, to prove that it was just a stupid illusion.

 _Pulse?_

None.

 _Skin?_

White, cold.

 _Eyes?_

Closed.

 _Blood?_

Too much.

 _Breathing?_

Inexistent.

 _Heart?_

Missing.

His hands shaking, his grip tightened in her bloody hair.

Why was she smiling like that? She wasn't allowed too. She didn't have any right to smile that way.

"ARYYYYYY!"

It was enough to make the rest understand, but none looked away.

They had won. The Millennium War had come to its end.

But… at what price?

* * *

 **DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! I REALLY, REALLY AM! LET ME EXPLAIN!**

 **First of all, I apologize if some of you hoped for Ary to survive. You see, her fusion with Gabriel was too complete. There was no other way for them to use the Spell. Plus, Apocryphos ripping her heart out didn't help her case. But still... I KiLLED MY BABY! I'M AN AWFUL PERSON!**

 **I'm also sorry for the shitty fight scenes. I never, ever was good at those, but trust me, I tried my best. Kanda might have seem to win too easily but hey, it's Kanda. As for Tiedoll... well, I seriously can see him do just that.**

 **There is still another chapter left, and also the epilogue. So don't leave me yet, please, please please!**

 **For the poll, I've decided to leave it to you: Magi or D. Gray-Man?**

 **Question: ... do you hate me? *cries anime tears***

 **REVIEWS PLEASE! I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **PS: Yes, it was decided that I would kill Aryane before I even introduced Gabriel to the story. So yeah.**


	52. Words From The Savior

**I'M SO SORRY FOR MAKING YOU GUYS CRY! I SWEAR IT WASN'T MY INTENTIONS, I SWEAR!**

 **So, this is the final chapter too, uh? It's really sort compared to other chapters, but I didn't want to write just for the hell of it, you know? It'd destroy everything.**

 **Answer: Well, you don't seem to hate me, so it's a good thing, right?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The casualties of the final battle had been minimal, considering the magnitude of this three-way-war in the first place, but too many had perished nonetheless. For Central, tons of Red Guards and CROWs had been killed by the Akumas, and all of the Fourth Exorcists had died when their Innocence was ripped out by Michael.

On the side of the Noahs, only Toraido, Fiidora and the Earl had met their end, along with all of the Akumas.

As for the Exorcists… Aryane's death had been a big shock for everyone. Many still couldn't believe it. As time passed, they had forgotten that the teen wasn't invincible or immortal, no matter her regeneration abilities.

Everyone soon understood that Allen wouldn't come back either. Lenalee was the most affected, but she never even dared to talk to Nea. She couldn't bear it.

Klaud Marshall had also been struck down by Tyki. For had tried to intervene, but it was too late and already, the arm of the Third Apostle was already ripping through the woman's stomach.

Hevlaska had given up her life in order to give more energy to the Exorcists. By doing so, she had found back her human form.

Madarao hadn't survived either. He stepped in the way when a Level Two was about to kill his sister, taking the deadly blow in her stead.

None of them truly understood everything yet. They knew it was a war, hell, they knew, and with a war came death, for all sides. It was inevitable. However, either they didn't thought they would survive at all, either they couldn't believe people so close to them, so strong and who had been by their sides not hours ago, wouldn't come back at all.

The Noahs had left, Nea stayed behind to clear things up. The survivors of Central went back to report their victory –more or less- to their superiors. As for the scientists, Exorcists and remaining Thirds, all were now in the library of the Ark, having finished to give their reports to Komui. All the bodies had been installed outside for now.

When everyone finally finished explaining their side of the battle, Komui sighed heavily and looked down for a moment, clenching his fists. Then, he relaxed.

"Well, everyone" he got up, hands on his desk. "The victory… is ours"

And that's when they all fully realized what had happened.

Lenalee started crying, launching herself in her brother's arms. Tewaku soon followed, hugging tightly Link and Tokusa. Kanda clenched his fists, but their was no anger, merely resignation. Johnny started crying too, the rest of the scientists wailing behind him. For and Back simply hug, none of them big fans at showing their emotions. Miranda shook for a few seconds, trying to keep her cries in, but couldn't hold back anymore when Krory took her in his arms. Marie was trying to comfort Timothy, but to no avail. Tiedoll started drawing and, for once, Sokaro didn't grin madly as per usual. Bookman simply hung his head down in respect for the deceased. Nea simply bowed, before leaving them to their grief for now.

As for Lavi…

Before anyone could stop him, he darted out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

None tried to stop him.

* * *

Everyone, except for Lavi, was now in the cafeteria. Jeryy had prepared a gigantic victory banquet, but no one really was in the mood for eating right now, still in their mourning phase. The tears had stopped falling an hour or so ago, but the pain was still very present.

The doors opened, the apprentice Bookman entered with a dark expression. In his hands was a chest, which they soon realized was the one they stole from the Arembergs some time ago.

"L-Lavi?" Miranda was the first to react.

"She left us letters" his throat felt dry, and his sole green eye was dull. "S-she knew she wouldn't make it. There's one for each of us"

Saying this, he picked up his own, which was still sealed. Then, one after the other, all came to take the one addressed to their name. After that, in silent agreement, they all returned to their room. Behind, the chest stayed opened on the table, four letters still inside that would never be opened.

There would be no victory-banquet tonight.

* * *

Lenalee sat on her bed, staring at the pristine white envelop in her hands for a few seconds, before opening it.

 _Hey, Jumper!_

 _I know, I know, I'm sorry! I feel so bad for leaving you, all of you, like that…_

 _Yes, I knew I would die today. I didn't told anyone because, let's be honest: you wouldn't have let me do it otherwise._

 _Please, you have to understand! It was the only way!_

 _I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I know that, if you did the same to me, I would never be able to forgive you. But… do you at least understand?_

 _But well. It's not as an apology that I wrote this to you. I want to tell you something very, very important…_

 _CHEERS! WE WON! YAHOO!_

 _Well, I'll assume we did, since you're reading this._

 _I don't know who died. I don't know who survived. I'll take for granted that you're still alive, so listen closely: don't feel guilty. You survived. You don't have to feel bad for that. I know that with mine and Allen's death, you were hurt badly. However, I don't want you to hold back and hurt even more for the rest of your life because of us, because of me. I want you to be happy with your brother, to do the things you couldn't do as an Exorcist, to live long enough and happy enough for the both of us._

 _If you don't, I'll kick your ass._

 _Well, I won't extend more than I have to. It'll probably make you cry, and I really don't want that. Also, it's okay to cry, just… do it once, and be done with it, okay? You're prettier when you smile. So smile for me, okay?_

 _I love you, little sister,_

 _Ary_

 _PS: I want you to take my feather pendant, the one I used as_ Silversword. _That way, I'll still be able to protect you somewhat if needed._

Lenalee gritted her teeth. She wasn't hurt anymore, she was angry.

"Stupid Ary!" she then yelled, gritting her teeth. "Of course I forgive you, you utter idiot!"

Her hands were shaking as her voice lowered. Her breath hitched, and the tears came back in full force.

"Of course… I forgive you…"

* * *

Tewaku opened her letter without loosing a second.

 _Hey Doll!_

 _I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I'm really glad I got the chance to meet you. You truly are a wonderful friend, and an even more wonderful sister. I'm sure_ Mystère _can agree with me on that._

 _Also, I've said it once, but I'll say it again: I forgive you for what happened with the Noahs. Don't make that face! I know you still felt guilty about that. I can see auras, remember? So yeah: I FORGIVE YOU!_

 _I've found a few more books you might like, I've put them in my room so you can go get them whenever you want. I hope you like them as much as I did!_

 _With loads of love,_

 _Ary_

The blonde took a deep breath. Then, her lips twitch between a smile and a scowl, before she left her room to go pick up her new books.

 _I'll miss you, Ary. Farewell._

* * *

Timothy was crying again, clutching the paper to his chest while lying on his bed.

 _Yo Brat!_

 _I'm glad you're okay, I really am. Well, I'll assume you are. But whatever! You can go back to Paris now, and tell how awesome you were to Emilia and Galmar._

 _Also, could you pass these letters for me, please? I did promised I'd come back to give them the good news myself, but…_

 _You're strong, Timothy. You're brave and awfully smart and I'm really happy to have fought with you as a fellow Exorcist. Kick some more bad guys' asses for me?_

 _Keep strong,_

 _Ary_

 _PS: The letters are on the envelop too._

 _PPS: Stop touching my cousin, would you?_

A moment later, he fell asleep, Tsukikami watching carefully over his charge.

* * *

Kanda wasn't sure whether to bother with the letter or just throw it out. However, after a few more seconds, he gave in. Placing _Mugen_ aside, he opened the damn envelop with a slight scowl.

 _Yo, Jerkface!_

 _Not too happy I'm gone, I hope?_

 _Nan, you're probably throwing a wild party in that damn head of yours._

 _But it's okay, 'cause I love you too!_

 _I won't linger, I know you don't like wasting your time, so here: no matter how much of an asshole you are, you'll always be my favorite._

 _I'll say hello to Alma for you, okay?_

 _Try to not be too much of a jerk, yours and only,_

 _Akahato_

 _PS: I want you to have my father's necklace. I don't know what you'll do with it but, if you don't want it, just throw it out or whatever._

The Second Exorcist clicked his tongue in annoyance. Of course this damn Akahato would write something like that. But, curious nowadays, he pulled out the mentioned necklace from the envelop. It was plain, the button of a Finder uniform. For a second, he was really tempted to just throw it by the window or something, before realizing that he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

His scowl deepening, he attached it around his neck before starting to clean _Mugen_.

* * *

Bookman opened his letter, mildly curious as to what the girl wanted to tell him. He had understood quite easily that she knew she wouldn't come out of this battle alive, and wondered what exactly she had planned since the beginning without anyone noticing.

 _Hey Jiji!_

 _So, I won't bother with apologizing and whatnot, since you're probably the one who'll understand the most. Duty before all, eh?_

 _I wanted you to know this, though: even you were with us only because of your job as a Bookman, you really were part of our big, mad, family. Oh, and your brownies are awesome, by the way._

 _Also, please don't be too hard on Lavi. I've explained everything to him, and I don't know what he'll do with my last demands, but I know he'll make the right choice. Just give him some time to think, okay?_

 _Also, I've put a detailed report of what exactly happened ever since Gabriel and I went Up there. Yes, I met other Angels. Pretty cool, uh? You can put all of the information in your Bookman records or whatever, since I know you wanted this damn information since forever._

 _Take it easy, you're getting old,_

 _Ary_

Staring at the paper for a moment, a rare smile then stretched the man's lips and he chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

 _She'll never change, will she?_

* * *

At Komui's demand, Nea came back. Without a word, the man gave him a letter, apparently from Aryane, before excusing himself to go find his sister.

After a moment, the Noah simply opted to go outside, before reading it.

 _Yo!_

 _So, we never actually talked before, did we? Well, no matter. I know Allen isn't here anymore, but I don't blame you for it, even if you do blame yourself –I know everything, MUAHAHA!-, so don't worry! Just make sure to do your damn job and keep your Noahs in check, okay? We don't want another stupid war on our arms._

 _So yeah. That's pretty much it._

 _Good luck!_

 _Ary_

 _PS: Gab says hi!_

 _PPS: Gab still blames you for the Mount Everest._

 _PPPS: Road's in love with you. Just saying._

 _PPPPS: Tell Mikk he's an asshole, and tell the mind-rapist to stop mind-raping everyone in the vicinity._

Nea couldn't help it.

He snorted.

 _I understand better why she and Gabriel got along so well._

* * *

Lavi laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling without really seeing it, thinking back to Aryane's message.

 _Hey, Bookboy._

 _So… damn, I really don't know what to say. I've kept this one for last since it was so difficult to write, but I really don't know what to do._

 _Well… I'm sorry. Not for what I did, but for leaving you, and not telling you either. I just couldn't risk it, and I know you would have tried to stop me if I told you of my plans sooner._

 _Please don't hate me. I'm not asking for forgiveness, it wouldn't be fair. Be angry, yell, do something. But I'm begging you: don't hate me._

 _No, scratch that. You have every right to hate me. What I did to you was horrible and I'm a terrible person for leading you on like that. I knew I wouldn't come back, hell, I knew. But… I just couldn't bear the thought of telling you. I'm just selfish like that, and I'm really sorry for it._

 _Remember the promise we made to each other and also to Jiji? About how our relationship wouldn't interfere with our respective duties as Bookman and Savior? Well, I believe it is time to honor your promise just like I honored mine. Don't let my actions break everything. I want you to fulfill your goal._

 _And I'm not talking about being a Bookman._

 _While I would tell you to do what you were born to do, I'm actually telling you to do what you want to do. However, don't do it if it's for me or whatever._

 _Do you understand that? I'm not sure if I'm just confusing you or something…_

 _I love you. So, so much._

 _No matter what, just don't forget me,_

 _Your Tenshi_

 _PS: Take back the necklace you gave me for my birthday. I don't want anyone else to have it._

 _PPS: Also, take my flute. Do whatever you want with it, but I want YOU to have it._

 _…_

 _LOVE YOU!_

Feeling tired all of sudden, Lavi passed an hand over his face.

 _Do what I want to do, uh?_

He chuckled, somewhat hollowly.

 _You already know the answer to that, Ary._

A single tear escaped his single eye.

"Love you too, Tenshi"

* * *

They all stood outside. Back on the battlefield, the bodies of the four dead had been laid on white sheets. Clad in their uniforms, their Innocence having been retrieved before, they were all facing the dark, starry sky with their eyes closed.

There were no flowers, no last words. God knows they would have hated it.

After a long moment of silence, in which all said their final goodbyes, Komui nodded to Lavi, who nodded back.

 _Ary… we all know you would have hated to be sent away alone._

The redhead then approached, taking out his hammer, as the rest took a few steps back, careful.

 _We are all also well aware of how you despise cemeteries._

"Little hammer, big hammer: grow, grow, grow!"

 _And how much of a pyromaniac you are._

 _"_ _HIBAN!"_

 _So there you go, Tenshi. I'm sure you would've love it._

All watched as the gigantic tower of flames elevated itself to the night sky. Then, as they all started heading back on the Ark –Nea had opened a door for them-, Lavi went back to his grandfather, who watched him approach with an unreadable expression, his hands in his sleeves.

"Hey, Jiji" greeted quietly the redhead.

Bookman raised an eyebrow at him. What was he up to now?

As if sensing his wonder, the boy allowed a smile, somewhat bitter, to grace his lips.

"Let's go, Jiji. We've got a lot to record, don't we?"

After a moment of silence, Bookman nodded, and both walked away. None of them looked back, disappearing in the night like shadows.

 _No matter what, Tenshi…_

The others wouldn't realize they were gone before some time, but it was okay.

 _Wait for me, okay?_

Their job here was done.

* * *

 **So, there's only the epilogue left! I've been wanting to write the letters for a while now, but only put those I considered the most important. Sorry if you consider a few of them are missing. Also, I believe it's very in character for Ary to at least leave these things behind. She wouldn't be Aryane if she didn't, right?**

 **Also, just so you know, I felt inspired for the funerals by the song 'Requiem of Red' from the Anime 'K'. Beautiful, really!**

 **There's only the epilogue left!**

 **Question: Bear with me until the end?**

 **Poll: D. Gray-Man it is?**

 **PS: Would any of you be interested if I wrote a side story of, like, four chapters -if not less, maybe a one-shot-, for Gabriel's life?**

 **REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**


	53. Epilogue

**So this is it, guys. It's short, but everything's here, so... yeah.**

 **Answer: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!**

 **So... for the last time... enjoy!**

* * *

All had parted ways that day, each going to search for themselves and for what to do with their lives. After all, they never truly believed it would end, so they never thought about what to do after everything was said and done.

Tokusa, Tewaku and Link returned to Central with Leverrier. The organization wouldn't be disbanded, for more threats could possibly arise one day, and the four of them had decided to do their best to change the nature of the Black Order. Johnny, Reever, Dap and Jiji also followed them. The more the merrier, right?

Lenalee and Komui went back to China, deciding to settle down in their hometown and get back in the rhythm of a normal life before trying anything else.

Timothy went back to Paris, where he informed Emilia and Inspector Galmar of the situation. They first laughed together, then cried together, then laughed again, for it was finally all over despite the heavy price that had been paid.

Tiedoll decided to roam the Earth in order to draw the most beautiful of places. Marie and Kanda decided to stay with him. After all, who knew what kind of trouble the old man would get into?

For and Bak took back the Asian Branch and started working on a new device that would be able to guard the fragments of Innocence like Hevlaska did before. And this time, they wouldn't do the same errors as before: human experiments were a big no-no.

Sokaro simply disappeared. His location unknown to all, none ever knew where he went or what happened to him. But hey, there was no sign of massive destruction, so it had to count for something, right?

Krory and Miranda ended up staying Exorcists. They had nothing else, no one to returned to, and therefore opted to stay with Central and search for the remaining pieces of Innocence still hidden all across the world.

Nea did his job as the new Millennium Earl. Keeping the Noahs in check, he let them do as they pleased, merely ordering a family dinner once a month to check up on all of them. While they didn't particularly liked the Fourteenth, saved for Road, they did enjoy the peace and quiet and the liberty they could now fully use for their own lives.

Of course, it would take a century or two for them to get used to certain rules, but-

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I CAN'T KILL HIM!?"

"Sheryl, no killing, remember?"

"BUT HE DEFILED MY PRECIOUS ROAD! THIS HUMAN TRASH SHALL PAY!"

"Sheryl, no"

Okay, maybe something more like three or four centuries.

As for Bookman and his grandson, they pursued their quest of knowledge. Their slip-up with the Millennium War had caused them many trouble with the rest of the Clan, but both –well, more like the boy- had learned their lesson well, and never made the same mistake again.

And, before anyone could realized... a hundred years passed.

* * *

A crippled old man laid in his bed, awaiting the end he knew was to come soon. His hair was gray, his single eye was tired.

Next to him, a man with deep red hair was keeping himself awake, waiting for him to go.

The old man's breath hitched slightly, alerting the younger man.

"Master-"

"It's time" he cut, his voice longing.

 _After all this time…_

"Thank you, for everything, Master" the man bowed respectfully.

 _I kept my promise, Ary…_

"Good luck… William… or should I say… Bookman"

"Good night"

 _Did you keep yours?_

His eye closed for the last time.

* * *

Lavi blinked.

Once second, he was lying on his deathbed with his oh-so-talented apprentice next to him and ready to take the title.

The second after, he was in a weird dimension where orange and yellow seemed to form an infinity of warmth all around him.

It was nice. It was comforting.

But…

"Yo, Bookboy. How's life going?"

His heart missed a beat and he spun around. His mouth parted agape, unsure to believe what he was seeing. Before him, the same as he remembered her, was none other than Aryane. She grinned at him, making a peace sign.

"You… you're…"

"You did asked me to wait for you, didn't you?" she chuckled. "Fucking dunce, arriving last like that... well, it did allow me to greet everyone else, so I guess it's not that bad. Now come on! They're all waiting for us!"

Grabbing his hand, she started pulling him behind her. Still unable to fully believe what was happening, he simply followed. There was a flash of light, before they both arrived in what seemed to be a room. After a few seconds, he realized it was an exact replica of the library on the Ark.

And everyone was here.

Kanda was sitting on the couch with a woman, who he realized was probably Alma Karma in his original form, and a boy he recognized as Daisya Barry was next to them. Lenalee was chatting with Allen on the other couch. Timothy was playing cards with Marie, Krory and Miranda. Tiedoll, Sokaro, Klaud and even Yeegar and Cross were drinking farther away.

Dozens of others, men and women alike, were sitting around, chatting animatedly with each other. He couldn't recognize them all, but he knew they were Exorcists too.

Someone hit him behind the head, hard.

"Itai! What…" he trailed off, recognizing his grandfather.

The one who was once known as Bookman wasn't the same, though. He seemed in his mid-twenties, without the dark circle around his eyes and with red/orangish hair a lot like his own.

"About time, idiot" huffed the man before walking away with a book under his arm.

Ary laughed at his flabbergasted expression.

"Yeah, I was surprised to see he hadn't always been a dwarf" she joked.

"I don't… really get it" admitted Lavi, scratching the back of his head.

"We Exorcists receive a special treatment, if you want to see it that way" the red-haired girl shrugged. "Since we were chosen by God and whatever. So, everyone ended up here. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah" he smiled. "Yeah, it is"

She grabbed his hand, laughing.

"Now come on! Let's go inform our dear Jerkface of your arrival! I'm sure he'll be _elated_ to see you again" she grinned.

But he pulled her back to him.

"I just have to know, Ary" a more serious expression fell over his features. "Why… why did you do this? And don't give me the crap 'it was my job' or something like that, I need the truth"

Her smiled only widened, though, and she grabbed his chin, before kissing him gently.

"Because… it was the price to your freedom"

* * *

 **So, I'm sorry if this cheesy ending wasn't to your liking, but it was probably one of the first things that had been planned when I started this story.**

 **I wanted to thanks all of those who put this story in their favorite, those who followed and more of all those who reviewed and kept up with me until the very end:**

 **ABookWormForLife**

 **Auguste the clown**

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 **Leahcar-Soutaichou**

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 **RussianSnowwolf**

 **XxBlue-ButterflyxX**

 **dat boi Neah**

 **Guest(s)**

 **THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!**

 **::**

 **I loved writting this story. Seriously, I learned a lot all along, and I had a lot of fun with Aryane, Lavi and the rest of you.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and I also hope to see you in another of my stories soon.**

 **::**

 **Poll: I'm still hesitating between Magi/Sinbad no Bouken and D. Gray-Man.**

 **Question: Did you like it?**

 **So... arigato gozaimasu, and see you soon!**


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